Only You
by VBloodmoon4
Summary: Cagalli is engaged to Yuna and is devastated when Athrun leaves for the PLANTs. What if instead of rejoining ZAFT, he returns to her in Orb? AthrunXCagalli KiraXLacus. Rated M for possible scenes in later chapters.
1. Hanging On

**Hello readers. I decided to do an Athrun/Cagalli story because they're one of my favorite couples. As for the setting of this story, I was thinking along the lines of when Athrun leaves Cagalli to go to the PLANTs at the beginning of Destiny. Nothing is exact though, so please don't get picky if everything isn't perfect. Just go with it. Athrun left her. Cagalli is depressed because she's been manipulated into a marriage with Yuna and she's alone. So I'm kind of going off of that. I'm tired of nit-picky reviews that aren't very nice on a few of my stories. So… if you don't like the story or don't have anything nice to say, then just go read something else. Thanks!**

**This story is named after Ellie Goulding's song 'Only You'. I love her and her music. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny**

**Chapter 1: Hanging On**

"Athrun… how could you leave me like this?" Cagalli Yula Athha whispered with watering eyes as she looked down at the ring he had given her.

It was all that she had of him at the moment and she squeezed it tightly in her palm. The blonde natural's chest ached and she bit her lip as tears threatened to fall. She was engaged to Yuna Roma Seiran and there was nothing she could do about it. She had been against the marriage, but Yuna ended up manipulating her into it as well as agreeing to an alliance with the Atlantic Federation.

The princess of Orb sat in an unfamiliar room that was part of the Seiran estate. She stared gloomily out her window and a lone tear ran down her cheek. Cagalli was struggling not to break. She was a strong willed individual, but she was at her limit. Yuna had his servants forcing her to take lessons on proper manners and etiquette. The natural girl felt like an empty shell. The most important person to her had left her, and her brother was gone as well. It was impossible to contact Athrun or Kira due to her location. The Seiran's were keeping a vigilant watch on her.

Cagalli let out a sigh. She missed being with her friends and she desperately missed her brother. The blonde haired girl rolled the ring she was holding between her fingers. She knew that Athrun had a good reason to leave for the PLANTs. He was going for a meeting with Chairman Durandal, but wasn't he going to come back? Wasn't he going to at least contact her to check on her? Did he care? Or was the kiss and ring he left her with a hoax?

…..

"I wanted to invite Athrun and Cagalli on this trip with us!" Lacus Clyne said to Kira Yamato with a sweet smile.

The brown haired coordinator looked at her with gentle eyes, "Do you think they would come? Cagalli is very busy with her role as Chief Representative of Orb."

"But everyone needs a break…" Lacus trailed off as she sipped on her tea.

They sat in a small café that was located on a busy street in Orb. They had left Reverend Malchio's orphanage earlier that day to go shopping in the city.

"I guess you're right…" Kira trailed off as he pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?" Lacus questioned as he held the mobile device to his ear.

"I'm calling Cagalli," he whispered as the other line rang.

Kira knitted his eyebrows when there was a click and a robotic voice stating, "The line you are trying to reach has been disconnected, please try again."

"What is that about?" Kira wondered as he started to feel slightly worried.

"Did she answer?"

"Her number has been disconnected," Kira commented with a frown.

"Why don't you try contacting Athrun? He's always with her since he's her bodyguard," Lacus suggested.

Kira nodded, "Alright, I will."

He dialed his best friend's personal number and waited as the other line rang. Lacus watched the boy in front of her fidget anxiously and couldn't help but admire how protective of a brother he was.

"Athrun!" Kira exclaimed and Lacus jumped at his outburst.

The pink haired coordinator watched the boy in front of her inquisitively.

"Can I talk with Cagalli?" Kira questioned.

Athrun faltered on the other end of the line, "Kira… I'm not with Cagalli right now."

Kira's eyebrows shot up, "What do you mean?"

"I'm in the PLANTs. I have been for a few weeks."

Lacus frowned as she saw worry show up on Kira's face. He swallowed dryly and his eyes were troubled.

"Athrun… her phone has been disconnected. I can't reach her."

"Disconnected? That's impossible."

Kira shook his head, "I'm getting really worried. Have you checked up on her since you left?"

There was a pause and then Athrun hesitantly answered, "No."

"That's no good then…" Kira said as he knitted his eyebrows, "I've got to go Athrun."

"Kira, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find her. Something could have happened," Kira answered.

"I'll return to Orb," Athrun stated.

"No. I don't know why you're in the PLANTs, but I can take care of this," Kira spoke clearly.

Athrun's voice changed on the other end of the line, "I feel like this is my fault. I left her, and I haven't talked with her even once."

"Don't worry about it, I'll let you know what happens."

Kira placed his phone down on the table with a frown.

"Are you alright?" Lacus asked him sincerely.

"I'm worried about Cagalli," Kira replied instantly.

He tried to prevent himself from imagining all of the worst case scenarios. Was she kidnapped? Was she being held hostage somewhere? Was she hurt?

"Maybe her phone is acting up and everything is okay," Lacus tried to console him.

Kira shook his head, his eyes becoming somber, "I have a gut feeling that things are far from alright."

Lacus stood and walked to the other side of the table where the brown haired coordinator sat. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"You're twins, so I know you share a deep connection. Let's find her as quickly as we can."

…

Athrun stared at his phone with disbelief. He immediately dialed Cagalli's number and waited anxiously before the robotic voice gave him the same message it had previously given Kira. The dark haired coordinator clenched the mobile device in his hand.

"What's going on?" he whispered harshly with narrowed emerald eyes.

A flashback of giving Cagalli the ring played through his mind. She had been in his arms, and he had been able to kiss her. Now she was out of his reach and he felt useless. What if she was in trouble and needed him? He had sworn to protect her and remain by her side, but was now thousands of miles away.

Athrun glanced up at the door of his hotel room and sighed. There was no way he could leave. He had already met with Chairman Durandal several times, but there was still much to discuss. Athrun wanted to do all that he could to avert another war so that he could return to Cagalli in Orb for a peaceful life. If he left now, the world could be plunged into the second Bloody Valentine War where countless lives would be lost.

Athrun grabbed at his hair and clenched his teeth. He knew he needed to keep a clear head, but his heart was clouding his mind at the moment. The former chairman's son stood up with a grimace. He threw his phone onto the bed and entered the bathroom where he turned on the shower. In seconds, he was standing under ice cold running water. His body shuddered at the temperature and the dark haired coordinator squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

"Cagalli, please be safe."

…

"Slow down Kira! It's going to be okay!" Lacus called out to the brown haired coordinator as he marched up to the gate of the Athha estate.

"I'm here to see Cagalli," Kira said into the intercom.

"Your name? Do you have an appointment?"

Kira narrowed his violet eyes, "My name is Kira Yamato, and I'm her _brother_ so I don't need an _appointment!"_

"Oh my…" Lacus trailed off with a small smile.

"Mr. Yamato… I'm sorry but Cagalli is not in right now, can I take a message?"

Kira looked at Lacus with a frown and then turned back to the intercom, "Do you know where she is? It's really important that I see her."

There was a long pause and Kira clenched his fists, "Please tell me!"

"I do not know her exact location. The last person that she was seen with was Mr. Yuna Roma Seiran."

Kira's features instantly darkened, "Thank you."

"Kira?"

"That guy has been trying to get on Cagalli's good side for years. We're going to the Seiran's," Kira told the pink haired songstress as he opened the car door for her.

He started the car engine and continued as they started to drive, "The last time I talked with Athrun he seemed touchy about that guy. I'm wondering if Yuna has been pressuring Cagalli to do something."

Lacus frowned, "Well, let us hope that Miss Cagalli isn't being forced to do something by him."

Kira nodded, "Maybe he waited for Athrun to leave so he could get to her more easily."

Lacus watched as Kira's hands tightened on the steering wheel. She reached over and placed one of her hands on top of his. His expression softened and he looked at the girl next to him.

"It will all be okay Kira, we will find her."

…

Cagalli numbly walked down the hall as she was guided by one of the Seiran's maids. She was ushered into a large ballroom where her instructor was waiting on her. The woman wore a nasty scowl and eyed the blonde natural with a look of disgust.

"Quit slouching and hold your head up."

Cagalli slowly lifted her chin but kept her eyes cast downward. The past couple of weeks had consisted of teachers, like this one, barking orders at Cagalli. They yanked on her hair, pulled at her clothes, would jerk her to change her posture, and yelled at her every opportunity they received. The first few days Cagalli had fought back with fire in her eyes, but as the days passed she grew weary.

"You look dreadful. There are dark circles under your eyes and your complexion is sickly," her instructor told her.

"Sorry…" Cagalli mumbled.

The middle aged woman grabbed her blonde hair, causing Cagalli to release a yelp.

"You will speak _clearly_ with proper manners. Is that understood? No princess should talk that way."

Cagalli wanted to shout at the idiot woman and give her a hard right hook to the jaw. The princess of Orb squeezed her fists and inhaled deeply in an attempt to control herself.

"What's this?" her instructor questioned with narrowed eyes and grabbed the natural's hand.

Cagalli's amber eyes widened in horror as she realized she had forgotten to remove Athrun's ring before leaving her room.

"I don't recall hearing about young Mr. Seiran giving you an engagement ring… so what is this?"

Cagalli swallowed dryly, "He didn't. This ring is from a friend."

"A _boy,_ I assume?"

The blonde natural opened her mouth to retort, but was slapped roughly across the cheek before she could speak.

"Quit behaving like some kind of heathen! You're engaged to Mr. Seiran and wearing a ring from another man? Give it to me," the instructor reached for the band around her finger.

"No!" Cagalli shouted as she pulled herself out of the woman's grasp.

That ring was the only thing she had left of Athrun and if it was taken from her she'd lose all hope. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and held her hand to her chest.

Two servants entered the room after hearing her scream and looked around hesitantly.

"Take this stupid girl back to her room. She's to receive no dinner this evening and make sure you take that ring from her before you leave."

The two servants, one male and one female, gruffly grabbed the princess. She had one holding each arm as she struggled against them down the hall.

"Let go of me!" she screeched.

"Quit struggling, you're only making this more difficult on yourself," the dark haired male servant said to her.

"You should be thrilled to be engaged to Master Yuna. He will give you everything you need and you'll live a life of luxury!" the woman holding her other arm said.

"I don't love him!" Cagalli growled, "I don't care about luxury or power!"

The blonde princess was tossed into her room where she stumbled before turning around with wide eyes.

"Please hand us that ring."

"Never!" Cagalli hissed venomously.

"Miss Cagalli, please," the woman asked again.

Cagalli's lip trembled and she bit it in an attempt to stop the tears welling up in her eyes. She watched as the two servants closed in on her. The dark haired man stepped around her swiftly and grabbed her arms from behind. Cagalli struggled against him and tears fell down her cheeks as she felt him pulling at her ring finger. He was successful and released the blonde haired princess with a huff.

"You should learn to behave a little more like a lady," he remarked as the female servant opened the door for him.

Cagalli watched them leave and winced as the door locked loudly. She stared down at her bare hand and touched the finger where Athrun's ring had been moments ago. The princess sat down on her bed and curled up into a ball as sobs began to wrack her body. She couldn't control it anymore. She felt completely broken and hopeless.

"Athrun…" she hiccupped as she continued to cry.

**A/N: Okay, there's the first chapter. I've been writing this story in 1 document, and am now going back to split up what I have into chapters… it's hard work! Reviews are nice, flames are not. **


	2. Tears

**A/N: Alright here is chapter 2!**

**Azmaria Eve: Thanks for the review! And I love your profile avatar! :) **

***Song for this chapter: Tears on the Runway, Pt. 2 by Issues**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny!**

**Chapter 2: Tears**

"How can I help you sir?"

Kira eyed the man at the gate of the Seiran mansion suspiciously.

"Is the Chief Representative of Orb here?" Lacus interjected with a sweet smile.

Kira's violet eyes widened and then he placed a gentle hand on her lower back as she stepped forward.

"Who is asking?" the guard snapped warily.

"My name is Lacus Clyne," she began and the guard's eyes widened.

"Lacus Clyne? The singer from the PLANTs?" he questioned with a slightly surprised expression.

"That is correct," Lacus blinked with cerulean orbs.

"One moment…" the guard trailed off and pulled out his radio.

"Hey, I've got someone claiming to be Lacus Clyne wanting to see Mr. Seiran's fiancé."

Kira and Lacus exchanged glances as someone spoke back to the man. He looked up at the couple in front of him and frowned.

"I'm sorry, she's not seeing visitors at this time."

Lacus frowned, "That's unfortunate."

Kira clenched his jaw and couldn't hold back any longer.

"I'm her _brother_ and I want to see her!"

The guard's eyes widened again, "Her brother?"

"_Yes_."

The gate keeper shook his head, "I was given strict orders to allow no one inside to see the Chief Representative."

"Kira…" Lacus said in a calm voice as she watched the brown haired coordinator tense up.

He took a deep breath, "Thank you for your time. Let's go Lacus."

The pink haired songstress followed him back to the car where they both got in. Kira didn't bother to start the engine and pulled out his phone.

"I'm calling Athrun. I want to know what has recently happened between Cagalli and this Seiran guy," he spoke as he dialed his best friend's number.

Lacus sighed and turned in her seat to see a white van pull up to the gate. She blinked with a confused expression as she read the side of the vehicle.

"Wedding dress outfitters?"

Kira was in the middle of talking on the phone and he paused. He turned to the woman next to him.

"What did you say?"

Lacus lifted her finger and pointed at the white van where several people climbed out and began carrying equipment inside.

"_Wedding dresses_?!" Kira exclaimed breathlessly with a horrified expression.

He dropped his phone and Lacus caught it before it fell between the seats.

"Kira! What's going on?! Answer me damn it!" Lacus heard Athrun shouting on the other end of the line.

"Hello Athrun," the songstress spoke pleasantly into the phone as Kira trembled with wide eyes in the seat next to her.

"Lacus! Tell me what's going on!"

"Well, you see, we went to Miss Cagalli's estate but she wasn't there. We were told the last person she was seen with was Yuna Roma Seiran."

At the mention of Yuna's name, Athrun released an audible growl.

Lacus continued, "Kira decided we should come to the Seiran's estate which is where we are now. They would not allow us to go inside, but Miss Cagalli is here."

Athrun was silent on the other end of the line before he asked hesitantly, "Did you say something about a dress?"

Lacus was only half listening to the blue haired coordinator on the phone as she reached for Kira.

"Are you alright?" she asked him with a concerned expression.

"Cagalli… what's happening?" Kira mumbled, "There's no way she would get married without telling any of us."

"Maybe they're here to fit someone else for a wedding dress," Lacus suggested.

"We can only hope… but I'm not so sure."

Lacus frowned, "I thought she already liked _someone_."

Kira huffed, "So did I."

"_Lacus_!"

The pink haired coordinator jumped, "Oh Athrun! I'm sorry!"

"Did you just say a _wedding dress_?!"

"Please don't overreact. We aren't sure who they're here to see," Lacus spoke calmly.

"That bastard Yuna," Athrun growled, "If he's done anything to her I'll _kill_ him!"

"That's it," Kira spoke as he stared at the Seiran estate.

Lacus frowned, "Kira?"

"I'm going to see her, even if they say I can't."

Athrun could hear every word of what his childhood friend was saying and asked, "Lacus, what is he going to do?"

Kira reached for the phone and put it against his ear again.

"I'm going to get in there and find her tonight. I want to talk to her and make sure she's alright," the brown haired coordinator said bluntly.

"Be careful Kira," Athrun warned, "Cagalli is an important political character, so don't do anything that could jeopardize her."

"I know that. I'm fairly certain that everyone here is a natural… So I'll have a slight upper hand sneaking around."

Athrun sighed uneasily, "Please let me know how she is."

"I'll go in, see her, and get out. No one will know I was inside," Kira stated.

There was a pause and Kira spoke again, "Athrun… are you returning to ZAFT?"

The blue haired coordinator was silent for several moments before answering hesitantly, "I… I don't know."

Kira closed his eyes. He could sense his friend was torn.

"Athrun needs to find his own way," Lacus said suddenly, "He needs to do what he feels is right and what he believes in."

Kira gave the songstress a warm smile, "You catch that, Athrun?"

"I did…" Athrun replied.

"I'll talk to you later," Kira said and hung the phone up.

"Athrun seems to be struggling right now," Lacus stated.

Kira nodded, "I wonder what they're saying to him now that he's back in the PLANTs."

"It's tough to tell."

Kira started the car engine and pulled onto the main road. He drove back toward the orphanage with a thin frown on his lips as he thought of how he was going to sneak onto the Seiran estate grounds that night.

…..

The night was cold and windy. Kira parked his car about a mile from the Seiran estate. The brown haired coordinator was dressed in all black and moved silently down the sidewalk with a serious expression. Kira frowned when a chilly gust hit him square in the face. It ruffled his already messy hair and made his eyes water. He finally arrived at the front gate of the Seiran estate and stared at it from across the street. There were many bright lights illuminating the gate as well as the grounds. Kira narrowed his violet eyes and saw that there were a couple guards patrolling the courtyard.

"If I get by them I should be alright… but I need to be careful," he mumbled to himself.

The coordinator clenched his fists. It was now or never. He took long strides toward the tall fence that surrounded the grounds. Kira leapt into the air and propelled himself over the fence where he landed on the grass with a soft thud. The edges of the courtyard had less light and Kira sidestepped down the fence until he was on the far right side of the grounds. The guards patrolled the well-lit areas with guns strapped to their hips. Kira watched them from the shadows and frowned.

"I've got to distract them somehow."

There was a lone tree several yards in front of the coordinator. Kira made a mad dash to it and hid behind the trunk. He glanced down and saw several rocks resting at the base of the plant. The coordinator's eyes widened and he picked up a couple of them.

Kira took one rock and threw it as far as he could. His superior physical abilities allowed him to gain extra distance. The two guards both turned quickly as they heard the rock hit the ground. Kira threw the second one which sent the two men running.

"Now's my chance!" Kira said as he took off at a sprint toward the mansion while the guards were distracted.

He found a smaller door on the side of the estate and forced it open. It was dark and silent inside. Kira carefully moved with one hand touching the wall to guide him through the halls.

'Cagalli, where are you in here?' he thought as he began his search.

….

Cagalli had cried herself to sleep and was completely under the covers of her bed. She took deep breaths and dried tears adorned her cheeks. No dinner had been brought to her as her instructor had ordered. Her stomach grumbled as she slept and the walls around her creaked from the wind outside.

Cagalli's eyes snapped open as she heard someone jiggling her door knob. She bolted upright in bed and stared through the dark at the giant wooden door with wide amber eyes.

"Who's there?" she called out cautiously.

"Cagalli? It's me, Kira!"

Cagalli was at the door in seconds, "Oh Kira! What are you doing?!"

"I wanted to see you but they wouldn't let me. I needed to know that you were okay."

Cagalli wiped stray tears from her eyes, "I've been better."

"Why are you here? And why were there people for wedding dresses here earlier today?" Kira whispered.

Cagalli reached for the door knob and tried to open it. She sighed, the servants had locked it, so no one was getting in or out without a key.

"Cagalli?"

"I'm marrying Yuna Roma Seiran," Cagalli said quietly.

"_Why_?" Kira pushed.

"He's my fiancé," Cagalli began crying, "It was arranged between his father and mine. I have to do it."

"No you don't. You don't need a husband, let alone a husband that you can't stand," Kira spoke.

"I've already agreed to go through with it."

"What about Athrun?" Kira questioned urgently.

"Athrun left me!" Cagalli said as more tears ran down her face and she tried to control her outburst, "He left me all alone!"

"I talked to him Cagalli, he's worried sick about you."

"It doesn't matter. He left me with a ring and an empty promise. I didn't know when or _if_ he was coming back," Cagalli sputtered, her voice full of emotion.

"He hurt you. I can tell. Everyone makes mistakes Cagalli. I know you don't want to marry Yuna. You have the right to marry someone that you love, not someone because you're being forced."

Cagalli wiped her eyes and clenched her fists, "It's my decision, now get out of here before you get caught."

Kira sighed, "What have they been doing to you here? This isn't the Cagalli I know. She would never give into pressure like this."

"I've been _alone_ Kira. They chipped away at me until I couldn't take it anymore. I waited for Athrun to come back and save me. He said he'd always be there and he'd protect me… he was _gone_ when I needed him most."

Kira swallowed dryly on the other side of the door. Cagalli was right. Athrun had left her high and dry and gone to the PLANTs. He hadn't bothered to contact her, and she was left defenseless to deal with the situation on her own.

"I don't think you should go through with this," Kira whispered.

"It's not your choice."

"When can I see you instead of talking through a door?" Kira asked.

"You can come to the party next week that Yuna and I are hosting before our wedding."

Kira's eyes bulged, "When is this wedding happening?"

"In two weeks."

Kira shook his head in frustration, "This will haunt you the rest of your life if you go through with it."

"Goodnight Kira," Cagalli stated, "I'm done talking about this."

"Alright…"

The princess was surrounded by silence once again and she got back into her bed. Her brother's words played over and over again in her head. She didn't want to make an alliance with the Atlantic Federation that was sealed through their marriage. She didn't want to start a family with that purple haired idiot and winced at the thought of having his children. It was a dilemma.

She clutched her pillow and bit her lip, "Damn it all."

…..

Kira sped down the road with a frown on his face. Cagalli was different.

"What are those bastards doing to her in there?" he muttered and pulled his cell phone from the glove box.

It was around three in the morning but he dialed Athrun Zala's number anyway.

"Hello?"

"Athrun!" Kira exclaimed.

"Kira? What's going on? Did you talk with Cagalli?"

The violet eyed boy sighed, "I did."

"You sound like something happened." Athrun said cautiously.

"Athrun… she's getting married to Seiran."

"No…" Athrun trailed off, "_Why?"_

"She says she's doing it for Orb."

"How does her marrying that bastard help Orb?" Athrun snapped.

Kira shook his head, "I don't know. She was manipulated into it and feels like she has no way out."

"Why didn't she say no? He was always trying to be near her when I was around. He would flirt and get close to her whenever he could," Athrun said distastefully.

"She said she's having a party next week for their upcoming wedding and that I could see her then," Kira spoke.

"When is the ceremony?"

"Two weeks."

Athrun was silent and then stated quietly, "This is my fault."

Kira sighed. He wasn't going to completely disagree. Cagalli relied on Athrun for support and to be there for her. When she needed him the most, he was gone.

"Did she say anything?"

"About what, Athrun?"

"About me… leaving her," he said carefully.

"She did, but I don't feel like it's my place to tell you how she feels," Kira replied.

"Is she angry? She has every right to be," Athrun told him.

"I think she feels like she's not important to you," Kira said.

"That's not true," Athrun countered quickly.

"Then you should tell her that."

Athrun paused and then spoke lowly, "Kira… I gave her a ring before I left."

Kira's eyes widened, "You _what_?"

"I gave her a ring, my feelings for her…" the blue haired coordinator trailed off.

"Athrun, if you feel that strongly about Cagalli, then come help her. Don't let her do this. It's going to change the rest of her life. I don't want her marrying a man that she doesn't love and that doesn't love her in return. Cagalli is special and deserves someone who will stay by her side and love her. She needs a husband who will cherish her," Kira explained.

"You're right."

"Plus, you don't want to see her having baby Yuna Seirans do you?" Kira asked jokingly.

Athrun practically hissed on the other end of the line, "_Don't_ go there. He better not lay a hand on her or _touch_ her in _that_ way."

Kira pulled his car into the orphanage's driveway and turned the engine off.

"Alright… I'll talk to you later. I hope to see you soon," Kira said to his childhood friend.

"Right…" Athrun replied.

…

"Why the hell did you turn down an offer to rejoin ZAFT?" Yzak Joule snapped at Athrun as he escorted him to the space terminal.

"I have something more important waiting for me back home," Athrun answered dryly.

"More important? And _home_? The PLANTs are your home, or have you forgotten?"

"Let him go," Dearka Elsman rolled his eyes.

"Idiot!" Yzak spat with disgust.

"Girl troubles?" Dearka elbowed Athrun suggestively.

The blue haired coordinator's eyebrows shot up, "No!"

"That means yes," Dearka grinned.

**A/N: Alright, that's it for this chapter! I have up through chapter 5 written so far. Reviews are nice. Flames are not. Thanks!**


	3. Distraught

**A/N: You'll never believe this, but I had up to 6 chapters written for this story. I took my computer to have some viruses removed, and lost those documents due to the virus clean up. Now I'm sitting here staring at this blank document. Obviously I'm going to change some things now. What I had written was nice and cute in my opinion. Cagalli and Athrun were reunited, squabbled a few times, but ultimately were back together with some fun fluff moments. Well… this time I'm not going to make it so clean cut. I'm feeling angsty this evening, so that's what you're going to get. Remember, this is an M rated story, so keep that in mind. Thank you to my readers and reviewers.**

**Thanks Cyber Armadillo… you rock, and I hope your feels gland stays intact hahaha**

**Thank you thunder18 for your support!**

***Song for this chapter: Starless by Crossfade**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny**

**Chapter 3: Distraught**

Athrun sat in the space shuttle and frowned as he stared out the window. He folded his arms and tried to think of something other than Cagalli. He was extremely concerned for her well-being and was restless to return to Orb so that he could speak with her. How could things have gotten so out of hand with his absence? Athrun clenched his fists in his lap. His meeting with Chairman Durandal flashed through his mind. Their last meeting consisted of Athrun explaining that he had something urgent to take care of in Orb. Durandal had told him that there would be no second chance to rejoin ZAFT as a red coat if he turned the offer down. Athrun scowled as he remembered Durandal shrugging and muttering how love is blinding and makes the most intelligent people stupid.

The coordinator dimmed the light over his seat. Was he really in love with Cagalli Yula Athha? He shook his head in disbelief. He cared for Cagalli deeply and wanted to make sure she was safe and taken care of; that wasn't necessarily love. Athrun gritted his teeth. He told himself he wasn't in love with the natural girl, but here he was flying back to Orb after turning down an offer to rejoin the ZAFT military. He would have never done something like that in the past. The PLANTs were his home and he firmly believed in joining the military to protect his home and end the war with the naturals. Athrun was a soldier at heart, and his decision was questionable. Was it right to turn away from his homeland to protect one girl?

"Damn it all," Athrun bit out, his mind spinning.

….

"There's no way they will let us into that party next week," Kira told Lacus as the pair sat in the back yard with the children at Reverend Malchio's orphanage.

"Kira!"

The coordinator turned to see the kids split in two groups grinning at him.

"Play kickball with us!"

Kira turned to Lacus who gave him a light laugh, "Go on!"

Kira approached the children with a skeptical expression. He looked back and forth between the two groups which seemed to be fairly even when it came to male and female team members.

"How is it fair to have me on your team?" he questioned.

A little boy with dark hair named John approached him with bright blue eyes, "Will you be the pitcher? And roll the balls to us?"

Kira's face brightened, "Sure, I can do that."

The two groups split up, one forming a line behind a makeshift home plate, and the other group spreading out in the back yard. Kira turned and saw that they had put down bottles to mark where the three bases were. One of the girls tossed a red kickball and the coordinator caught it with a smile. He glanced up at Lacus who waved at him with a cheerful laugh.

"Take it easy on them Kira!" she called out from her chair where she was watching.

Kira began rolling the ball to the kids that were in a line in front of him. He was careful to make sure it wasn't too fast and didn't bounce as it rolled. They began their game and Kira dodged several balls that were kicked directly at him. He laughed as the children screamed and chased each other when they were trying to tag a runner out.

"That's three outs!" he called, "You guys on the field are up to kick."

The two teams rotated and Kira began rolling the ball to the next line of kids. He rolled the kickball to one of the boys in line and something caught his attention as he let go of the red rubber ball. Kira stood up and turned his head to the right where he saw an individual with dark hair approaching them. The sun was starting to set, which made it hard for the coordinator to make out the distinct features on the person's face. His violet eyes widened as the figure got closer and he realized who it was.

"Athru-" Kira started before the kickball collided with the side of his face roughly.

"Kira!" Lacus exclaimed with wide eyes as she watched him fall.

Kira let out a grunt as his neck twisted from the impact. His cheek was stinging and he held his hand to it with watering eyes. Lacus rushed to him and knelt by his side with worried blue eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Kira muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Athrun approached the couple with an amused expression. He held his hand out and Kira grabbed it firmly. He pulled himself up and stared at his childhood friend with a growing smile.

"It's good to see you."

Athrun let out a nervous laugh, "I don't know about that. I'm not sure what I'm doing."

Kira frowned as he lowered his hand from his cheek, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know what I'm doing back here…"

"Aren't you here to rescue Cagalli?" Lacus asked as she reached for Kira's bright red cheek.

Kira dodged her, "Don't touch it!"

Athrun watched with raised eyebrows as Lacus kept trying to touch Kira's reddened cheek and the boy danced around her, avoiding contact.

"Kira! There's an imprint of the ball on your face!" Lacus exclaimed, "We need to get some ice for it!"

Kira paused and turned to see all of the children glaring at him. His cheek was still stinging and he picked up the ball that had fallen nearby.

"Here," he tossed it to the nearest child, "It's getting late, you all should probably head inside."

There was sighs of discontent and moans as many of the kids dragged their feet while they walked back toward the orphanage. Kira watched until they were all inside and then he turned back to Athrun and Lacus.

"Explain what you mean, Athrun," Kira nodded at the dark blue haired coordinator.

Athrun pulled at the black jacket he was wearing uncomfortably. He cast his eyes downward and frowned. He wasn't sure how to explain how he felt to Kira and Lacus. He wasn't certain what he wanted and had no idea if what he was doing was the right thing.

"Kira…"

"You said you gave my sister a ring before you left, didn't you?" Kira asked plainly.

Athrun nodded.

"Then what are you confused about? You're back here because you care about Cagalli and don't want anything bad to happen to her," Kira shrugged.

Athrun clenched his jaw, "It's not that simple. I'm a _soldier_ Kira. I've turned my back on everything I know so that I can return to a country I'm not even from to rescue a _girl_. This is ridiculous."

"You need to follow your heart and not your head," Lacus spoke up.

"I think my feelings for Cagalli are blinding me," Athrun said, "I'm not thinking rationally and it's because of her."

"Then leave," Kira stated bluntly.

Athrun's eyes widened and he stared at his best friend. Kira was glaring at him with anger in his eyes.

"Turn your back on her, you already have once. Make up your mind Athrun, she doesn't have much time left until it's too late."

"Kira…" Lacus frowned.

Kira knitted his eyebrows and turned around so his back was facing Athrun. He couldn't help his harsh words. Cagalli was his sister and he cared for her greatly. If Athrun wasn't sure he wanted to commit to staying with her and protecting her in Orb, it was better for him to return to ZAFT.

"I'm going inside," Kira stated and turned for the door of the orphanage.

The brown haired coordinator walked inside with a scowl on his face. He shook his head and took a deep breath. Athrun was confused… he always seemed to be confused about what he should be doing. Kira was tired of him bouncing back and forth between ZAFT and Orb. He needed to pick something and stick with it. Kira blinked and his eyes began watering.

"Ouch," he muttered as his cheek began to sting again.

Outside, Athrun stared at the ground with a forlorn expression. Lacus watched him quietly and reached out to her ex-fiancé. She wanted to comfort him and help him find his way, but ultimately it was his decision to choose what he wanted to do.

"Athrun?" she said softly.

The coordinator seemed to be in a haze and his eyes shot up in surprise. He stared at the pink haired songstress in front of him with wide emerald eyes before letting out a long sigh.

"Kira's right…"

Lacus smiled, "He's worried about Cagalli. That's why he said those things, don't be upset with him."

Athrun was silent and glanced up at the horizon where the sun had finally set. The sky was beginning to grow dark and he saw the faint light of stars starting to appear.

"I joined the military mainly because of my father," Athrun spoke suddenly, "I fought and followed orders. Accomplishing my missions was the most important thing to me. Now that I think about it, things were easy back then. Once I started questioning what I was doing… that's when things started to become difficult."

"If you don't believe in what you're doing, you have a right to question your actions," Lacus told him.

"I wanted to die," Athrun continued, "After Kira killed Nicol, I told myself that it should have been me. Then I tried to kill Kira… it was a never ending vicious cycle and Cagalli was the person who made me realize that. Killing Kira didn't change the fact the Nicol was gone. Cagalli taught me that there are other ways to fight instead of using weapons to kill each other. That's why I decided to return to Orb with her instead of remaining in the PLANTs."

Lacus frowned, "Why did you return recently?"

Athrun shook his head with narrowed eyes, "I felt like I wasn't contributing anything. Cagalli was always working and I just sat there staring at the wall wondering what I could do to help. She was doing her best while I was doing nothing. With a possible war on the horizon, I decided to return to the PLANTs to talk to Chairman Durandal. I thought I could do something for a change instead of watching Cagalli do it all by herself."

Lacus placed a soft hand on Athrun's shoulder. He looked at her with a wounded expression and she smiled at him sympathetically.

"You have a good heart Athrun."

Athrun laughed dryly, "That's not a compliment fitting for a soldier."

"But you aren't a soldier anymore. Didn't you turn the offer to rejoin ZAFT down?" Lacus asked him.

He glanced off to the side, "I did and I'm still questioning myself, especially after what the chairman said to me."

Lacus tilted her head, "What did he say?"

"He told me that love blinds people and makes them stupid."

The songstress blinked and wasn't sure what to say.

"I don't know if I'm in love or not, but I know that my judgment isn't sound."

"Athrun… you look like you're in so much pain, why does this bother you so much? You returned for a dear friend because you don't want her to suffer. There's nothing to be ashamed of," Lacus told him with a serious face.

"I've turned my back on my nation, I've turned my back on Cagalli, and I've turned my back on you and Kira before. I never know what I want. I let myself get confused so easily and I hesitate to make decisions about what my actions will be," Athrun spoke.

"Do you want to be with Cagalli again?" Lacus asked him earnestly.

Athrun's eyes widened at the simple question.

"Yes," he answered automatically.

Lacus smiled, "See? That wasn't difficult. You're thinking too much about things. Do what _you_ believe in and do what _you_ feel is right. It's not a crime for you to do what makes you happy instead of trying to act for others all of the time."

Athrun stared at his ex-fiancé and nodded slowly. She was right. He needed to do what made him happy, not what he thought would make others happy. No matter what he did there would always be someone who was against him and didn't support his actions. Athrun had been a soldier for the majority of his life and it was a part of him, but he wasn't going to give up on the one person who seemed to complete him because of that. There was a reason he hesitated to rejoin ZAFT and it was because his heart was telling him to return to Cagalli. She needed him the most right now and he needed to make things right with her. Athrun wanted to explain why he left and what he had been feeling at the time. He wanted her to know that he had thought of her every day and wondered how she was doing. In their short time together in Orb he had grown quite close to her as her bodyguard. It was his job to protect her and in the end he had failed. Athrun looked up at the starry sky with a determined expression. He was going to get her back, he _needed_ her back.

"Let's go inside," Lacus said as the outside lights automatically turned on from the darkness.

"Right," Athrun nodded.

The pair entered the orphanage and the dark blue haired coordinator's eyebrows lifted when he saw Kira on the couch holding a bag of frozen peas to his cheek. Kira turned his head when the two entered and he frowned.

"Athrun, I'm sorry, I got carried away," Kira apologized.

Athrun shook his head, "You were right and I've made my mind up. I'm going to get Cagalli back."

Kira smiled, "That's what I like to hear."

Lacus sat down next to Kira and stared at the bag of frozen peas and let out a bubbly laugh. Kira blushed in embarrassment and stared at the floor. Lacus glanced at Athrun and pointed at the stairs with bright blue eyes.

"You can use the spare room next to Kira's tonight."

Athrun nodded and blinked sleepily. He didn't realize how exhausted he had been and grabbed his bag that he had left in the living room earlier when he arrived. He trudged up the wooden stairs and entered the spare room with a yawn. The former soldier didn't have the energy to change into his night clothes and collapsed on the bed heavily. Athrun rolled onto his side and closed his eyes; falling asleep in minutes.

**A/N: Wow, there's that… it's kind of funny for me to write this and think about how different it is from the original version I wrote that I lost when they worked on my computer. No Cagalli in this chapter… I felt the need to kind of focus on Athrun in this one. He's kind of dense in my opinion and bounces back and forth, never able to make up his mind in the series and it drives me CRAZY. Reviews are nice, flames are not! Thanks!**


	4. Loophole

**A/N: Cruising along… Some Cagalli in this chapter, and then we will go back to Athrun. The poor boy has so many struggles in Seed and Destiny I just want to bang my head on a wall.**

**Thank you Cyber Armadillo for your review as always.**

**Thank you Azmaria Eve for you review! The M scenes will likely be coming in later chapters. Not quite there yet! haha**

***Song for this Chapter: Alone by Sleeping With Sirens**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny**

**Chapter 4: Loophole**

Cagalli sat silently in her room at the Seiran household with a tired frown. She was wearing a lavender dress and was waiting on Yuna to come and get her so that they could go out. The natural girl was numb and had resigned herself to the fact she would be marrying Yuna. He would become a part of her life and would be her partner in ruling Orb. Cagalli closed her eyes tightly as her mind wandered to thoughts of a different outcome. What if she had never met Athrun? What if he had never stolen her heart and left her; causing her so much pain? She wondered if she would feel differently about her marriage with Yuna if the coordinator had never been involved in her life.

Cagalli couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips when she thought back to her first encounter with the elite ZAFT soldier. He had been so serious when he attacked her with his knife and backed off immediately when he realized that she was a girl. Athrun had taken care of her and made sure she was safe, even if she had been his hostage. The two parted on good terms and Cagalli had wondered if she would ever meet him again. She had viewed Athrun as a mysterious guy after their first parting and he crossed her mind often. Cagalli grimaced when she remembered finding the Strike blown to bits along with another machine on an island. Athrun was unconscious on the beach and Cagalli remembered how her breath had hitched in her throat upon seeing the mysterious coordinator once again.

"Cagalli!"

The princess snapped out of her trip down memory lane and sat up rigidly. She turned to see Yuna scowling at her from the doorway.

"Quit daydreaming, let's go."

Cagalli sighed and followed her fiancé. Yuna was always nice and sweet to her in public when the people of Orb were watching, but behind the scenes he snapped at her rudely.

"Mr. Seiran, your car is waiting out front."

Yuna nodded at the butler and gave him a pat on the shoulder, "Thank you very much."

Cagalli followed behind Yuna with her eyes cast downward. He opened the black limousine's door and motioned for her to get into the vehicle. The princess complied and sat down on the plush leather seats. Yuna sat down next to her and folded his arms across his chest.

"We're going to pick the flowers and get anything else that we need for the ceremony next week Cagalli dear," Yuna told her with a smug expression.

"Okay," Cagalli spoke, looking out the window as they drove away from the mansion.

Yuna grabbed a handful of Cagalli's blonde hair and she yelped. He pressed his lips roughly against hers and she squirmed underneath him. The natural girl's eyes were wide and she tried to push him away. Yuna eventually pulled back and Cagalli gasped for breath; her eyes watering.

"Why did you do that?!" Cagalli cried, "Don't force yourself on me!"

Yuna narrowed his eyes at her, "You're to be my wife, so you'll do what I want and as you're told."

Cagalli held her hand over her bruised lips and shivered at the piercing look he was giving her. Cagalli whimpered silently as she thought about being with this man for the rest of her life.

…

Athrun was sleeping soundly when he jerked awake by a sudden knocking on his door. He rolled onto his back and sat up; rubbing his eyes with a groan. Light was filtering in from the window and the coordinator let out a yawn as the door creaked open. Kira poked his head in and gave his friend a smile.

"Time to get up?" Athrun asked.

Kira nodded, "Yeah, we have breakfast waiting downstairs. I figured after that, then you'd want to get to work."

Athrun blinked his emerald eyes with a look of slight confusion, "Work?"

Kira laughed, "I'm not going to leave you to get Cagalli back by yourself. I'm helping too, she _is_ my sister after all. I'd rather see her with you than with that Yuna guy."

Athrun rolled his eyes and chuckled, "I'll be down in a few minutes."

Kira grinned and closed the wooden door quietly. Athrun stood up and stretched his lean body, squeezing his eyelids shut tightly as his back cracked. He sighed in relief and walked into the bathroom that was attached to the bedroom. The coordinator turned on the sink so he could wash his face with hot water. Athrun frowned at the clothes he was wearing and left the bathroom. He grabbed his bag and dug through it intently; pulling out articles of clothing. He changed quickly, pulling on a yellow turtleneck with a pair of jeans. The coordinator put his black jacket on and returned to the bathroom to brush his teeth before heading downstairs to meet Kira.

….

"Good morning Athrun!" Lacus smiled as the dark haired coordinator entered the dining room.

Athrun gave her a small smile and nodded before he sat down across from her at the table. He glanced around and saw that Kira was standing in front of the stove. His eyes widened and he looked back at Lacus.

"Is he cooking for us?"

Lacus smiled brightly, "Yes, Kira is very good at making breakfast, believe it or not."

Athrun turned back to his friend with a curious expression, "I wouldn't have guessed that."

"Do you cook Athrun?"

The fomer soldier's eyebrows shot up as Kira glanced over his shoulder at his childhood friend. He smiled as he grabbed a spatula and flipped the egg that was frying in the pan in front of him. Athrun tried to hide the look of embarrassment on his face. He was actually a very good cook, but didn't like to tell people about it. After his mother died, he spent many mealtimes alone with the servants at his household and had naturally picked up cooking techniques.

"Well?" Lacus pressed, blinking at him with blue eyes.

"I cook some…" Athrun trailed off.

"No need to be shy about it," Kira laughed as he walked to the table with a stack of blueberry waffles.

Athrun looked at his friend with a stare of disbelief and Kira shook his head, "Don't think too much of it. I can make breakfast foods, but that's about all I'm good for, right Lacus?"

Lacus agreed with a smile, "It's true."

Athrun observed the two coordinators in front of him and felt a small amount of jealousy well up inside. Kira and Lacus' relationship seemed easy. They got along perfectly and it was obvious that the two were made for each other. Athrun sighed, he missed Cagalli so much his heart ached. He didn't know that he could feel so strongly for a person until he had met the blonde natural. He let out a chuckle as he thought of the night they spent alone on the island together. She had thrown his loaded gun, accidently shot him in the side, and then insisted on bandaging his wound. Athrun had never thought he would see the odd girl again after that encounter.

"What are you thinking about?" Kira questioned as he watched his friend skeptically.

Athrun jerked in his chair as he was snapped out of his train of thought. Kira had finished making breakfast and was sitting next to Lacus on the other side of the table looking at him.

"You were spaced out, what was with that look you had on your face?" Kira questioned.

"Nothing," Athrun mumbled quickly, feeling a small blush creep across his cheeks.

"He's thinking about my sister," Kira said to Lacus.

"I can hear you!" Athrun exclaimed in embarrassment.

Kira shrugged, "Just eat so we can figure out a way to get her back. Once she's back with us you won't have to stare at the wall fantasizing or whatever you're doing."

"Kira!" Athrun sputtered, his cheeks now bright red.

The brown haired coordinator laughed, "I'm sorry, I'm only messing with you."

"She's your sister," Athrun stated and then asked, "Aren't you protective over her being with someone?"

Kira nodded, "Well yeah, but I know Cagalli can handle herself. If you hurt her, she'll probably beat you up or something. I can't stand the fact she's being forced to be with this Yuna guy. That's why I've decided to step in."

Athrun stared at his half eaten waffle and knitted his eyebrows, "What if she doesn't want anything to do with me?"

"Why would you say that?" Lacus interjected.

Athrun folded his hands in his lap and let out an uneasy sigh, "I left her. She's probably furious with me."

Kira rolled his eyes, "Nothing you can't clear up by talking with her."

Lacus nodded in agreement, "We talked about this last night, just tell her what you told me. Tell her how you feel and be honest. Cagalli is a wonderful girl, she will understand."

Athrun swallowed dryly. His friends seemed to have the utmost confidence in him. Why did he feel so nervous about his current situation? Cagalli meant the world to him. She was in danger and he wanted to make sure that she was safe, happy, and protected. He was afraid at how she would react to him when they were reunited. Would she be angry? Would she be open to talk? Or would she refuse to have anything to do with him?

"You're thinking too much, stop it Athrun," Kira scolded him as he stood up and grabbed his empty plate.

"Kira is right, you've got nothing to worry about. The hardest part is getting Cagalli back and finding a way to get her out of this arranged marriage," Lacus spoke.

"Then let's get to it," Athrun stated, "I need to talk to Kisaka."

"Sounds good, let me wash these dishes up," Kira called over his shoulder as he turned the sink on.

Lacus approached the brown haired coordinator and gently pushed him away from the sink.

"You two go on ahead, I'll stay here and clean this up."

Kira's eyebrows rose, "Lacus?"

"Go on, I'll stay here. I've got plenty to do and you two have to work quickly."

Kira nodded and gave Lacus a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you."

Athrun patted his jacket pocket and felt the keys to his car inside. He turned to Kira and gave him a nod before the two coordinators headed out the door.

"Where are we going?" Kira asked as Athrun sat down in the driver's seat.

Athrun said nothing and pulled his phone out. He dialed a number and held it patiently to his ear. His eyebrows rose when a deep voice answered on the other end of the line.

"Kisaka, it's _Alex_. Would it be possible to meet at the Athha household?"

Kira buckled his seatbelt and waited until Athrun hung up. He stared at his best friend who turned to him with a confident expression.

"Kisaka is going to meet us."

Kira nodded, "Great."

Athrun pulled out onto the main road and headed toward the Athha manor with a serious expression. Kira inhaled deeply as the wind ruffled his hair. The convertible cruised down the paved road effortlessly and the two quickly came upon the Athha property. Athrun reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet. Kira leaned forward and blinked as he saw a card with Athrun's picture that read '_Alex Dino_' on it. Athrun flashed the card to the man at the gate who waved the convertible through. The car was quickly parked and the blue haired coordinator was walking to the front door in seconds. Kira followed his friend inside where they paused as Myrna, the caretaker, rushed up to them.

"Alex! Oh, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed with watering eyes.

Athrun nodded, "Is Kisaka here?"

"He arrived about fifteen minutes ago," Myrna replied, "This way."

Athrun and Kira followed the caretaker to a sitting room where there was an ornate fireplace. Kisaka was waiting for them in one of the maroon cushioned chairs. He stood immediately upon seeing the two young men enter the room.

"Kisaka," Athrun acknowledged with a nod.

"Alex," Kisaka responded, using Athrun's codename.

Kisaka glanced at Kira and his eyebrows rose, "Kira, it's good to see you as well."

Kira gave him a small smile, "I think you know why we're here."

"Lady Cagalli's situation…" Kisaka trailed off, "I'm afraid there's not much we can do."

Athrun clenched his fists, "I won't settle for that. We're going to find a way to get her out of this."

Kira stared at his best friend and a small frown crept across his lips. He could tell that he would have to be the one to remain cool headed in throughout this ordeal. Athrun was too emotionally involved to think with a clear head. Kira took a deep breath and stepped around the teenager next to him.

"Kisaka, could I see the official documents for this arranged marriage between Cagalli and Yuna?" Kira asked.

Kisaka blinked and nodded, "I believe that former Chief Representative Athha had a copy of it in his study."

Athrun and Kira sat down in spare seats near the decorative fireplace; waiting patiently for Kisaka to return. Athrun was silent with a frown plastered across his lips while Kira watched the clouds roll by out of a nearby window.

"I believe this is what you're looking for."

Both coordinators looked up quickly to see Kisaka approaching them with a folder. He handed it to Kira and shook his head.

"You don't have much time before the wedding, but look it over if you must."

Kira stood up, "Thank you very much."

Athrun couldn't take his eyes off of the brown folder in Kira's hands. Would this piece of paper save Cagalli? It gave him knots in his stomach to think that it could play a role in deciding her fate.

"Let's go somewhere private where we can look at this," Kira said to Athrun who nodded in agreement.

The two boys climbed the stairs to the second floor and Athrun's head shot to the right, knowing that Cagalli's door was the furthest down on the left. He swallowed dryly and felt sick knowing that she wasn't there.

"We're not going to her room," Kira spoke clearly, "_You_ need to be able to focus, so we're staying away from there."

Athrun watched as Kira turned to the left and walked in the opposite direction of Cagalli's room. He sighed and followed. Kira was right, he needed to focus and quit sulking.

"Here!"

Athrun paused and his face fell as Kira opened the door in front of him.

"Kira… this is _my_ room."

Kira swung around to see Athrun giving him a skeptical look and he laughed.

"I had no idea, I randomly picked a door. What are the odds?"

Athrun shook his head and grabbed his desk that was against the wall. He pulled it to the center of the room and brought two chairs up to it. Kira sat down and pulled out the documents from inside of the folder.

"Let's read this thing carefully from start to finish… both of us," Kira suggested.

"Fine by me."

Kira began reading the document and narrowed his eyes in concentration. His violet eyes darted back and forth over the paper as he went down the page. Athrun sat back in his chair and waited patiently for him to finish. He stood up and walked to his closet, looking through the clothes he had inside. The room was silent and Athrun jumped when Kira slammed the documents on the desk after twenty minutes had passed.

"Kira?" Athrun questioned with a worried expression.

"This is it! I've got it!"

Athrun frowned, "There's no way it's that easy."

Kira winked, "But it is."

Athrun sat down and snatched the papers, "Let me see."

Kira leaned over and pointed, "Right here, read it."

Athrun's emerald eyes diligently read the words in front of him and his midnight blue eyebrows rose.

"See? It's in the fine print but it's there. Since Cagalli's father and Yuna's father arranged the marriage, if one were to die and the child is of legal age to make their own decision, they're able!" Kira said.

"Impossible," Athrun shook his head, "Cagalli would have known about this."

Kira frowned, "Probably not, the Seirans want power, so they likely don't want her to know about that. She thinks she has no way out. Cagalli and I turned eighteen in May and it's summer now, so she's old enough that she can refuse this."

"How do we tell her?"

"We arrange a meeting," Kira shrugged.

"Easier said than done," Athrun sighed, "The Seirans despise coordinators. They hated me when I was Cagalli's bodyguard and were probably elated the second I left her. There's no way they'll agree to a meeting between us."

Kira frowned, "He knows you… but he doesn't know me."

"So?"

"What if we see if a meeting can be arranged between Cagalli and Kisaka?"

Athrun's frown twitched and he couldn't help but smile, "That could work."

Kira grinned, "Go get him, let's try and put this plan in motion."

Athrun nodded, maybe his situation wasn't so hopeless after all. If things worked out, Cagalli would be back in her own house in a matter of days. Athrun couldn't wait to see her, it had been months and he was starting to believe that she was just a dream. The coordinator raced down the stairs to the kitchen where Kisaka was talking with Myrna. He turned and his eyes widened upon seeing Athrun.

"Kisaka, please come upstairs, Kira and I would like to discuss something with you."

Kisaka approached him, "Did you two find something?"

Athrun nodded, "We have a plan, but we need your help."

Cagalli's former body guard nodded, "I'll do anything I can in order to get Cagalli back here where she belongs."

The two returned to Athrun's room where Kira was waiting. He nodded at them with a confident expression and immediately went to work explaining what he had found to Kisaka.

"I can arrange a meeting with Cagalli. I'll tell the Seirans that there are important matters involving affairs with Orb that need to be discussed with the Chief Representative. They cannot refuse," Kisaka said.

"Perfect," Kira stated.

"I'll go work on setting up a time," Kisaka said as he left the room.

Athrun turned to his best friend, "Is it possible this could work?"

Kira shrugged, "I don't know, but what else can we do?"

Athrun clenched his jaw, "You're right."

**A/N: Daaaa dum. Plans in motion to get Cagalli back! Sorry if I make Athrun seem like such a sad sack… but let's get real, he acts like one most of the time. Cagalli is what brightens his world and since she's not there… hehehe**


	5. Refusal

**A/N: Alright, I'm sure people are starving for Cagalli and Athrun to be reunited so we can get to some of the good stuff… but I think everything that's happening so far is important to show how much they're missing one another while they're apart. **

**thunder18: Thanks again for another review! Glad you liked the last chapter!**

***Song for this chapter: Weight by Hands Like Houses**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny**

**Chapter 5: Refusal**

"Father! What do you mean we have to let him meet with Cagalli? He's probably up to something!" Yuna hissed to his father, Unato Ema Seiran, the Prime Minister of Orb.

Unato narrowed his eyes at his son. He had a suspicion that Ledonir Kisaka was up to something as well, but it was impossible for him to prevent a meeting with Cagalli. If there was urgent information pertaining to Orb that the Chief Representative needed to know, then he was in no positon to stop Kisaka.

"Yuna, we have no choice," Unato spoke to his son with a scowl.

"When is he coming?" Yuna questioned, glancing up at the clock in his father's office.

"One hour."

Yuna gritted his teeth. He was so close to getting the power he and his father had been looking for. He wasn't going to lose that, he refused. Cagalli was his ticket to wealth and power; greater than what he already had. She was also a beautiful girl who would look great by his side while he ruled Orb. Yuna huffed and glared at the clock once again. He felt nervous and watched his father skeptically before standing up and exiting the office. He moved down the hall with a determined expression until he found himself at the at Cagalli's door. Yuna felt no need to knock as he jerked the knob and walked inside the room. Cagalli was sitting at the small desk in her room staring out the window with a blank expression. She turned upon hearing the door open and her amber eyes widened.

"Yuna?" she questioned.

"Don't play dumb with me, did you plan this?"

"Plan what?" Cagalli asked, completely confused.

Yuna came at her with narrowed eyes and grabbed her hair. Cagalli winced and slammed her eyes shut. The room was silent as Yuna held her in place, not saying a word. He glared at her, but the natural girl refused to open her eyes. She didn't want to look at him, because if she looked at him she'd have to acknowledge that what was happening to her was real.

"You know what I'm talking about. Having your _friend_ set up a meeting with you today? You aren't going to get out of this marriage. It was arranged by _both_ our fathers. You're forever tied to me, understand?"

Cagalli was silent until Yuna gave a sharp tug on her hair, causing her to let out a small yelp as the roots of her hair strained against her scalp.

"I understand," she bit out icily.

"Good," Yuna let go of her with a scowl on his face.

Cagalli turned away from him with watering eyes. She was completely numb. No one was coming to rescue her and she was starting to realize that this never ending nightmare was actually her reality.

"Quit with the sad face and get dressed so you can get your silly meeting over with, _Chief Representative," _Yuna rolled his eyes with sarcasm dripping from his voice.

He left her room with an arrogant laugh and slammed her door. Cagalli reached up and touched her hair where he had pulled it. She winced at how tender her scalp was and massaged it lightly. The natural swallowed dryly and her eyebrows shot up. She had a meeting with a _friend_? What did that mean? Cagalli was instantly curious and began putting clothes on. She grabbed a light blue summer dress and put it on with a frown. She hated wearing dresses every day, but Yuna demanded she did. If only Athrun could see her now. Cagalli shook her head, she was no better than a beaten dog. She had given up and was merely going through the motions so she could get by.

Cagalli left her room with a deflated sigh and made her way downstairs to the main part of the Seiran mansion. Yuna had not told her when her company was coming, but she figured she might as well wait. The natural sat down on a floral pattered sofa and leaned back with a tired exhale. She hadn't slept much in her time at the Seiran's home and it was starting to wear on her. The windows were cracked open and it was a humid summer day. Cagalli's eyes fluttered in exhaustion as she watched a small breeze move the curtains that framed the windows. She struggled to stay awake for many moments until she finally gave in and drifted off into a light doze.

…..

"Cagalli, wake up."

The princess of Orb jerked awake with startled amber eyes. She turned around to see Yuna and one of his servants scowling at her. She immediately looked away from his gaze and a frown formed on her lips. Yuna turned around, his back facing his fiancé and he motioned to someone.

"She's right here."

"Could we talk with her somewhere private?"

Cagalli's breath hitched in her throat. That was Kira's voice.

Yuna let out a hiss, "Isn't right here fine? There's no need for privacy, Cagalli and I share everything together. Isn't that right dear?"

Cagalli paid no attention to Yuna's question; instead she stood up so she could see her visitor. The natural girl clenched her jaw and looked down. She had to keep her cool or Yuna would suspect something. She wasn't supposed to be anywhere near coordinators. Cagalli glanced up to see that Kira was wearing a pair of sunglasses, very similar to what Athrun wore when he was her bodyguard. His unnatural violet eyes would have easily given him away to the Seirans as a coordinator and Cagalli was glad he had realized that. Her brother was standing next to Kisaka and both of them watched her intently.

"You can go to Cagalli's room if you must," Yuna spoke with suspicion very evident on his face, "Make it quick."

Kira gave the purple haired natural a scowl and looked like he was about to say something. The coordinator took a deep breath and adjusted the black sunglasses on his face. Cagalli was glued to the ground and couldn't bring herself to move toward her brother or Kisaka. Was it a dream? She had already given up; there was no way that at the last minute she was going to be rescued. The natural audibly cleared her throat and gathered the courage to move forward.

"I'll show you the way," she spoke clearly, trying to appear businesslike.

"Cagalli, come find me when you're finished," Yuna spoke.

The princess paused and glanced at her fiancé, "I will."

Kira was clearly disgusted by the situation and glared at Yuna heatedly behind his glasses. He wanted to ring the purple haired idiot's neck. He needed to shut the hell up and stay the hell away from his sister.

"Let's go," Kisaka spoke quietly next to the coordinator, trying to redirect him.

Kira nodded and followed after his sister up the stairs to her room. Kisaka closed the door behind them and the trio stood in silence for many moments.

"Cagalli," Kira finally spoke, "Are you alright?"

"What are you doing here?" Cagalli ignored his question, "You're going to get caught."

Kira rolled his eyes, "And what will that idiot do to me? Nothing, he's a coward."

"_What are you doing here_?" Cagalli asked again in a harsh whisper.

"We're here to get you out of this house and this marriage," Kira told her lowly.

Cagalli shook her head, turning away from her brother and walking to the other side of the room.

"They're probably listening to us right now. We can't talk about anything here."

"I don't care if they're listening. I have a way for you to get out and nothing that they say can change that."

Cagalli turned to Kisaka with eyes that were glistening with unfallen tears. He looked back at her with a sad expression and gave the girl a sympathetic frown.

"Listen to him Cagalli," Kisaka told her seriously.

The blonde natural was barely holding herself together. She had been stuck in this house for months being mentally tortured by Yuna Roma Seiran. She had reached her breaking point long ago and it seemed like she was reliving it again.

"This isn't real…" Cagalli mumbled, "It can't be. I'm marrying Yuna and that's final."

Kira reached for his sister and she stepped out of his grasp. She shook her head with a horrified look on her face.

"You can't tease me like this Kira."

Kira stared at his sister with wide eyes. He removed his sunglasses so he could see her clearly. He had never seen her act this way before. This wasn't the Cagalli he knew. She was frightened and had obviously given up on the idea of choosing her own destiny. She was resigned to marry Yuna and be miserable the rest of her life. He couldn't believe that his fiery sister had changed into nothing more than a pile of smoldering ashes.

"I'm not teasing you," Kira snapped, becoming irritated, "Quit acting like this!"

Cagalli gritted her teeth and looked at the floor with a face full of shame, "You have no idea what I've gone through."

Kira shook his head, "I don't, but it's not too late to change things. Cagalli, _Athrun is back_."

The natural's breath hitched in her throat and she felt a sharp stab in her chest. Athrun? He was back in Orb?

"Yes," Kira nodded slowly, "He came back for you. You're all he can think about and the fact you're here about to marry another man is destroying him."

Cagalli gulped, she put her hands over her face as tears threatened to fall. She was so confused and had no idea what to do. She was engaged to Yuna and couldn't walk out the front door of the estate refusing to marry him. Athrun had left her, and even if he would have stayed the outcome would have been the same, wouldn't it have?

"This entire thing is in _your_ hands," Kira spoke clearly.

Cagalli peered at her brother through her fingers, "What?"

"Kisaka?" Kira turned to the man next to him.

"You should read the highlighted portion," Kisaka spoke as he handed Cagalli the official documents for her arranged marriage.

Cagalli stared at the documents that Kisaka was holding out for her to take. She hesitantly reached for them with trembling fingers. Her brain was buzzing at the moment and she groaned at the tiny font on the paper. She couldn't read this, let alone concentrate on what it meant in the mental state she was currently in. The princess' eyes shot up to Kira pleadingly.

Kira gave her a sympathetic smile, "It says you can refuse this entire thing."

Cagalli shook her head, a stray tear leaking down her cheek, "There's no way. I would have known about something like that."

Kisaka interjected, "How? The Seirans would not have explained anything like that to you. They have you right where they want you."

Cagalli turned back to Kira, "What does this mean?"

"Since your father is no longer living and you're of legal age, you can make your own decision on the matter. Former Chief Representative Athha helped arrange this, now that he's gone, you can choose your fate," Kira explained.

Cagalli spun to face Kisaka, "Will this really hold up if they challenge me on it?"

Kisaka pointed at the document, "It's written in there and was signed by your father and Yuna's father. Those signatures show that both were aware of that fact."

Cagalli swallowed dryly and blinked at her brother, "What do I do?"

"For starters, do you want to get married to that guy?" Kira asked.

"No!" Cagalli exclaimed.

"Do you want to go home?"

"Of course!" Cagalli sputtered, her eyes lighting up at the thought.

Kira shrugged, "I think it's obvious what you should do then."

Cagalli couldn't help the sob that choked out of her throat. She threw her arms around her brother and began crying on his shoulder. Her body shook and the coordinator held her tightly. Kira glanced over at Kisaka who nodded at him with a small smile. Kira wrapped his arms even tighter around his sister. He finally had her back and he wasn't going to let her go again.

"I'm not going to leave your side until you're safely back at home," the brown haired coordinator whispered.

Cagalli pulled back and stared up at him with a tearstained face. Her eyes were red and her skin was blotchy. She couldn't believe she was being saved. After giving up on all hope, she was finally going to manage to return home. Cagalli's eyes trailed down to Kira's shirt where his black sunglasses were hanging from his collar. Her eyebrows rose and she gasped as they instantly reminded her of Athrun. He was back and was waiting for her. She couldn't believe it. How would she react to seeing him again? Cagalli couldn't make up her mind if she was going to hug him or hit him.

"Kisaka, how are we going to go about doing this?" Kira questioned as he released his sister.

Cagalli wiped her face with the backs of her hands and sniffed. She waited patiently for her former bodyguard to speak.

"We can ask to speak to the Prime Minister of Orb, Yuna's father," Kisaka spoke.

Kira turned to Cagalli and asked, "Do you know where he's at?"

Cagalli nodded slowly, "He's probably in his office."

"Then let's go, no reason to waste any more time here," Kira spoke with a determined expression.

…

Lacus walked steadily with a tray in her hands that held a tea set on top. She hummed cheerfully as she walked out into the backyard of Reverend Malchio's orphanage. She saw Athrun sitting at the outdoor table and moved toward him. The male coordinator turned slightly as he saw his ex-fiancé approach him. He swallowed dryly and was grateful for the tea that she was carrying.

"Would you like some?" Lacus asked with the tilt of her head as she started pouring hot tea into one of the teacups.

Athrun nodded, "Yes, thank you."

Lacus placed the cup in front of him and the dark haired teen drank from it deeply.

"Athrun, are you alright?"

Athrun sighed, "I'm worried."

"Of course you are," Lacus smiled at him gently.

"I wish I could have gone with them," Athrun said through clenched teeth, "But that moron Yuna would have recognized me."

"Kira will make sure everything goes smoothly," Lacus stated, "I believe in him."

Athrun stared at the pink haired songstress with a look of awe. Lacus had complete trust in Kira and obviously trusted him with her entire being. He wondered if Cagalli felt that way about him… he doubted it.

"I want to apologize to her," Athrun mumbled, "I was so stupid and blind to what I had right in front of me. I was selfish and left to try to prove myself useful, but instead, I threw away the person who meant the most to me."

Lacus sipped on her tea and looked up at the sunny sky, "You can tell her those things when you see her."

Athrun wiped the perspiration off of his brow and shifted awkwardly in his seat. He was incredibly impatient and wondered what was happening at the Seiran household. Waiting for news was unbearable and he felt like the humid air was choking him.

"Damn, it's hot today," Athrun groaned with a grimace.

….

"What is the meaning of _this_!?" the Prime Minister of Orb shouted as he stared at the intruders in his office.

Cagalli felt like she was going to vomit. Her entire body was trembling and she held on to Kira's hand tightly while standing behind him. Kira stood firm between the Prime Minister and the Chief Representative. He wouldn't allow Unato anywhere near his sister. It was obvious that his sister was traumatized by her stay with the Seirans and it made him furious to think they had hurt her mentally or physically.

Yuna burst into the office suddenly with wide eyes. His jaw dropped at the sight of his fiancé with the two men who were supposed to be visiting her. He rushed to his father's side and stood next to the Prime Minister's desk with a heated expression.

"Cagalli, what the _hell_ are you doing?" Yuna spat.

The princess of Orb was frozen. She felt like ice was coursing through her veins and couldn't move an inch. She was scared. Kira turned and blinked at his sister, his eyes widening at her facial expression. He gritted his teeth as he took in the poor girl's face. Cagalli looked like a rabbit who was cornered by wolves. He could tell that she wanted nothing more than to run as quickly as she could from the room to escape the tense situation. Kira turned around and glared at the source of her fear.

"Bastards, what have you done to her?" Kira spat and Kisaka grabbed the coordinator's shoulder firmly.

"Remain calm," Kisaka warned.

Yuna gasped, "You! Your eyes! You're a coordinator!"

Kira glanced down at the sunglasses hanging from the collar of his shirt. He had forgotten to put them back on his face in the heat of the moment.

"Call security and get this _filth_ out of here!" Yuna shouted at his father.

"Yuna! Silence!" Unato barked at his son.

Yuna shrank back and glared daggers at Kira who narrowed his violet eyes in return. Unato folded his hands on his desk and inhaled deeply before looking at Kisaka.

"What would you like to talk about?"

Kisaka placed the arranged marriage documents on the Prime Minister's desk. He took a step back and stared down at the older man with a serious expression.

"These are the marriage papers for my son and Cagalli. What about them?" Unato asked with no sign of emotion.

"Please refer to the highlighted portion," Kisaka stated.

Yuna leaned over his father's shoulder with an intent expression. Unato lifted the paper and read the highlighted lines silently.

"What of it?" Yuna asked, looking threatened.

"This is Cagalli's choice, not yours," Kira said with venom, "And you failed to mention that to her."

Yuna eyed his fiancé sharply. She was hiding behind the coordinator in front of him and he wanted to shout at her. He inhaled shakily, trying to control his temper.

"Cagalli… we love each other. We belong together and will rule Orb side by side!" Yuna spoke in desperation.

Kira turned to face his sister and squeezed her hand. He placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her forward so she was directly facing the two Seirans.

"You need to make a choice," Kira told her.

Cagalli nodded, still feeling sick. She looked from the floor to the ceiling, and then to the walls. She wanted to look anywhere except at Yuna Roma Seiran and his father. Cagalli instantly shut her eyes and her entire body trembled. She fought the urge to begin crying again and her eyes snapped open when she felt a reassuring squeeze on her hand. She didn't want to disappoint her nation by canceling the marriage, but she didn't want to throw away her future either. The Atlantic Federation was breathing down Orb's neck for an alliance and Cagalli did not want this refusal of marriage to spark an attack by the Earth Forces on her nation.

"Cagalli," Kira whispered, "You can do this."

The princess sucked in her breath and suddenly felt some courage course through her body. With Kira at her side she could do anything. He was there and he was going to protect her. She felt some of her fire returning and her amber eyes met Yuna's fiercely.

"I, Cagalli Yula Athha, the Chief Representative of Orb, am canceling this arranged marriage."

Yuna's jaw dropped and Unato shook his head with a disappointed frown.

"You can't!" Yuna shouted.

"According to that document, she _can_," Kira smirked victoriously.

"Father!" Yuna turned to Unato with panic written across his face.

Unato slammed his fist on his desk and the document crinkled under the pressure.

"Fine."

Yuna gasped, "Fine? That's all you have to say?! We can't let her leave! We're getting married!"

"We have no choice in the matter. She has the right to refuse, it's here and I signed it," Unato pointed at the papers.

"You'll regret this," Yuna growled, frustration evident on his face.

"I think we're done here," Kisaka stated and glanced at Kira, who nodded in agreement.

The coordinator turned to his sister and smiled at her, "Cagalli, let's go home. There are people waiting on us."

Cagalli's amber eyes widened at his statement. It seemed as though a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders… she was free. She didn't have to marry a man she couldn't stand, she wouldn't have to deal with the physical and mental torment she had endured for months, and she would once again be surrounded by the people she loved. It was like a dream come true.

Cagalli followed Kira and Kisaka outside and got into the waiting government vehicle. She heaved a sigh of relief as she watched the Seiran mansion fade into the distance. Suddenly, Cagalli felt nervous because she was headed back home where she'd see the man who had plagued her thoughts and heart since he left. What was she going to say to him? She still wasn't sure if she would hit him or hug him.

Kira turned in the passenger seat, "Cagalli? Do you care if we go to the orphanage first? Lacus and Athrun are there waiting for us."

Cagalli's eyes widened and she felt a knot in her stomach at the mention of _his _name.

"That's fine, let's go. I can't wait to see everyone," Cagalli spoke breathlessly, suddenly feeling elated.

Kira smiled at her. Cagalli had dark circles under her eyes and looked exhausted, but at the mention of her friends waiting, she seemed to light up. He was so happy to have his sister back. She deserved to be surrounded by people who cared for her, not by those who took advantage of her and imprisoned her. Kira grinned to himself as he turned around in his seat. He couldn't wait to see the look on Athrun's face when he saw Cagalli. Kira hoped that the two would be able to talk about what happened and straighten everything out so they were back on track. It was blatantly obvious that the two intimately cared for each other, but Athrun was afraid to admit it, and Cagalli was too stubborn to admit it.

"Thank you Kira," Cagalli suddenly spoke.

Kira turned in seat and raised his eyebrows in question.

"I was frozen when we were facing Yuna and his father. It was because of you being there with me that I felt strong enough to stand up to them. So thank you," Cagalli explained.

Kira smiled at her, "Cagalli, you're my sister. I'd do anything for you. I'm glad I could help and I'm so happy that you're back."

Cagalli grinned back at him, "Me too."

**A/N: Alright. Finally Cagalli is freed from that psycho purple haired freak. Next chapter we get some Athrun and Cagalli interaction (AT LAST!). Reviews are nice, flames are not! Thank you readers!**


	6. Home

**A/N: Thank you to my reviewers! Thanks Cyber Armadillo, as always. Here's chapter 6, Cagalli is reunited with Athrun again! It's about time…**

***Song for this chapter: The Saltwater Room by Owl City**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny**

**Chapter 6: Home**

It was evening and the sun was beginning to set. Athrun had remained outside in the heat for most of the day and was exhausted. He glanced up at the orange rays of the sun that were peeking over the horizon. The coordinator let out a sigh. He felt sticky and grimy from sweating all day in the humidity and hot sun. Athrun released an audible groan. He felt terrible. There was no word from Kira, and he was sick at the thought of their plan failing. His midnight blue hair stuck to his damp forehead and the former soldier put his forehead down on the table he was sitting at. Athrun closed his eyes and tried to forget the fact he felt gritty and that his clothes were clinging to him.

A half an hour passed by and Athrun continued to rest his eyes with his head on the table. The sun was almost gone when he decided to sit up. The coordinator winced as his neck ached from holding such an uncomfortable position for so long. His mouth was dry and he longed for something cool to drink.

"Maybe I should go inside," he mumbled.

Athrun thrummed his fingers on the table before deciding to stand up. He stood stiffly and made a pained expression as his muscles ached. Athrun turned and almost lost his balance when his eyes met a pair of amber orb staring back at him.

"Cagalli!" Athrun sputtered in disbelief.

She didn't reply and looked off to the side with a small frown on her lips. Kira appeared next to her and grinned at Athrun.

"Hey!" he exclaimed with a cheeky smile.

Athrun's knees trembled and he fought the urge to sit back down.

"Athrun? You look terrible," Kira stated with a frown, "Don't tell me you've been sitting outside waiting all day."

"Tch," Athrun pulled his eyes from Kira's and shoved his hands into the pockets of his black pants.

"You're such an idiot," Cagalli muttered.

Athrun's emerald eyes shot up instantly to the woman in front of him. It was the first time he had heard her voice since he left for the PLANTs. He was struggling to believe that she was really in front of him and he wanted to reach for her, but restrained himself.

"Let's go inside," Kira said to them and motioned for the pair to follow.

Cagalli started to walk after her brother and paused when she realized that the dark haired coordinator wasn't following her. She turned to look at him but his face was hidden by the shadows.

"Are you coming?" she asked him in a quiet voice.

Cagalli couldn't bring herself to call out to him. She refused to say his name. Athrun glanced up at her, his emerald eyes full of some unknown emotion. Cagalli shivered at the way he was looking at her and instantly turned away, feeling uncomfortable.

"I'll see you in there," she called back to him and followed Kira inside.

Athrun remained still and he stared at the back door with unblinking eyes. It wasn't exactly the way he wished to be reunited with Cagalli, but she was back. They could talk and fix things, that's what Lacus and Kira had both told him repeatedly. The coordinator swallowed, his throat feeling like sandpaper, and he walked toward the back door of the orphanage. It felt like he had lead weights tied to his ankles as he moved.

"What's wrong with me?" he mumbled as he opened the door in front of him.

Athrun entered to the sound of laughter and chatter. He walked into the living room to see Cagalli on the floor smiling and talking to a few of the children. She ruffled the hair of one boy and let out a laugh.

"Cagalli, we've missed you dearly and are so happy that you're back!" Lacus said with a bright smile.

Cagalli stood up and hugged the pink haired songstress tightly, "It's great to see you too."

Athrun watched the two women and then glanced at Kira. His best friend was watching the pair with a warm smile. Athrun sighed, it was obvious there was awkward tension with Cagalli. He had no idea what to do and wanted to bang his head against the wall. Athrun rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Should he just throw himself onto the ground and apologize? He was lost.

"Athrun?"

The dark haired coordinator jolted upright stiffly and turned to see Kira eyeing him with skeptical violet orbs.

"What's the problem? Haven't you been waiting for her to come back? You've barely exchanged a sentence with each other."

Athrun frowned, "I don't know what to say."

Kira slapped his friend on the back, causing Athrun to jump again, "I know you can be a bit shy. Maybe when you two are alone it'll become easier for you."

Athrun blinked, Kira was probably right. He didn't want to make a scene in front of anyone and would prefer that matters with Cagalli be solved in private.

"You look so tired," Lacus commented as she stared at the princess of Orb with cerulean eyes.

Cagalli gave her a small smile, "I am."

"Why don't you return home? We can talk tomorrow," Lacus said.

Cagalli nodded and looked over at her brother who was talking to Athrun. Cagalli didn't want to interrupt them and she remained silent. In the past, she would have jumped between the two of them and started chatting, but at the moment she wasn't sure where she stood with Athrun.

"Athrun can take you back," Lacus smiled, "I'm sure he's tired as well."

Cagalli gulped. Once she left the orphanage she was going to be alone with him. She didn't know why it bothered her so much because when he was her bodyguard, they were alone together all of the time.

"Cagalli?"

The princess' eyes widened as Athrun approached her with an unsteady gaze, "Are you ready?"

She nodded and turned to her brother. Cagalli walked up to him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you again Kira," she said, trying not to cry.

Athrun frowned and looked down at the floor. He had failed in his duty to protect Cagalli. She had been through hell and back and it was his fault. Athrun inhaled sharply. From this moment on, he was going to protect her with everything he had. He would give her anything she needed and be there for her, no matter what. He only hoped that Cagalli would accept him after all that had happened.

….

"I wanted to thank you for all of your help Kisaka," Kira said with a genuine smile.

Athrun and Cagalli had left the orphanage a few moments ago and Kisaka was preparing to depart as well. He gave Kira a nod and placed a firm hand on the coordinator's shoulder.

"I'd like to thank you as well, for getting Cagalli out of that situation. She was incredibly unhappy and I am glad to see she is back where she belongs," Kisaka spoke as he walked toward the door.

Kira and Lacus gave him small waves as he left and watched as his vehicle backed out of the driveway. Kira turned to the songstress next to him and let out a relieved sigh.

"I'm glad things turned out the way they did," he told her.

Lacus nodded, "It seems like everything went quite smoothly."

Kira grabbed Lacus' hand and led her back inside while talking, "It did. There were a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong. It was obvious that Cagalli didn't want to go through with that marriage, no matter what she said."

Lacus squeezed his hand in agreement as they arrived in the living room. The couple sat down on one of the couches and Kira yawned.

"Maybe you should get some rest," Lacus spoke quietly with an amused glint in her eyes.

Kira scratched his head, messing up his already unruly brown hair, "Probably, but I can't help thinking about Athrun and how things will go with Cagalli."

Lacus looked thoughtful, "You're right, the two seem to be at odds with one another."

"I don't think either one of them know what to say or how to act after everything that has happened. Athrun feels completely at fault for all of this and Cagalli is hurt. They need to talk and straighten it all out. I told Athrun that he would probably be able to resolve things easier once they were alone together," Kira explained.

"I agree, they need to communicate with one another. They won't get anywhere remaining silent."

Kira blinked stared at the girl sitting next to him with twinkling violet eyes. A sly smile spread across his face and he slowly leaned toward her; his grin growing. Lacus giggled and tried to pull away from him; playfully pushing him with her hands. Kira grabbed her wrist and gazed at her with unblinking eyes; their noses almost touching. Lacus' bright cerulean orbs watched him innocently and Kira placed a kiss on her forehead. He sat back and smiled with a proud expression. Lacus raised her eyebrows and found herself smiling brightly at the teenage boy next to her.

"I think we should get to bed," Kira suddenly said as he started yawning once again.

Lacus nodded, "Yes, and tomorrow we can find out how things went with Athrun and Cagalli."

Kira laid his head back against the couch and stared at the ceiling with a pensive expression, "That'll be interesting to hear about."

….

Cagalli sat in the passenger seat of Athrun's black convertible in silence. She watched the scenery flash by as they drove and enjoyed the cool breeze that blew through her blonde locks. Neither of them had spoken a word since leaving the orphanage and the tension in the air was thick. Cagalli's heart was pounding and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The natural girl stared down at her hands which were folded in her lap and narrowed her eyes at the dress that was covering her legs.

"I'll be so happy when I can get out of this stupid thing," she muttered with a scowl.

Athrun's acute hearing picked up on her words instantly and his head swiveled quickly to face her. His emerald eyes were wide and he struggled to find his voice.

"Cagalli?" he was able to say after a few moments of internal struggling.

Cagalli inhaled sharply and tilted her head stiffly in his direction. She squeezed her hands into tight fists in her lap and stared at the steering wheel instead of his face. She suddenly found the breeze to be quite chilly and her body shivered. The princess closed her eyes tightly when she heard Athrun release an uncomfortable sigh. It was obvious he wanted to talk, but had no idea how to start the conversation. Cagalli wasn't sure she was ready to speak to him yet. The princess took a deep breath and wanted desperately to get out of the car. She watched the street signs and grew anxious as they got closer to the Athha manor.

Athrun pulled up to the gate and flashed his identification badge. He pulled the car through the iron bars as they opened and put the convertible in park a short distance from the front doors. Cagalli quickly reached for the handle and pushed the door open. She wasted no time rushing to the front door and yanking it open. Athrun was still as he remained seated in the car with a sad expression. He watched the door to the mansion close and the coordinator rested his forehead against the steering wheel with a deflated groan. It was apparent that Cagalli couldn't wait to get away from him. She wasn't talking to him and refused to make eye contact.

Athrun sat back and stared up at the stars which had appeared in the night sky. He blinked at them and wrinkled his nose as he once again realized how grimy he felt from sweating outside for most of the day. He pulled the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car. The coordinator approached the mansion's front door feeling completely defeated. He went inside and glanced around, seeing no one. Athrun shook his head, she didn't want to talk to him or be near him so he wasn't going to force her. He trudged up the stairs and made his way to his room, closing the door behind him.

The dark haired coordinator pulled his shirt off and threw it across the room carelessly as he walked toward his bathroom. All he wanted to do was take a hot shower and go to sleep so that a new day would come. He leaned over and turned the water to his shower on and checked the temperature. Athrun furrowed his brow and kept turning the knob until the water was steaming. He quickly took the rest of his clothes off and stepped in the shower where the hot water fell upon him heavily. The coordinator leaned against the wall in exhaustion and closed his eyes.

….

After entering the manor, Cagalli found Myrna and rushed to her caretaker with tears in her eyes. She had talked for a few minutes with the older woman who was overjoyed to have her back. Myrna was able to tell that her princess was fatigued and told her she needed to go to her room so she could get some rest.

Cagalli returned to the front of the mansion and glanced around, Athrun nowhere to be seen. She approached one of the windows near the front door and peered outside. The princess squinted at the black convertible and saw that it was empty.

"He must have gone to his room," she mumbled to herself and she started walking up the stairs.

Cagalli reached the top of the staircase and turned her head to the left toward the direction of Athrun's room. She paused for a moment before turning to the right and heading to her own room. The natural girl opened the door and tears came to her eyes upon seeing her own room. It had been months since she had been home and able to sleep in her own bed. Cagalli grinned at the sight of her belongings and rushed to her closet where she pulled out a set of red pajamas. She pulled the dress off thankfully and stepped into the comfortable pants and put the short sleeved shirt on.

Cagalli stared down at the dress that was rumpled in the floor. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and picked it up. The natural threw it into the wastebasket with no hesitation and made her way to the bathroom where she proceeded to comb her hair and brush her teeth. Cagalli blinked at her reflection in the mirror. She had dark circles under her eyes and her face looked slightly hollow, but her eyes were bright. She was thrilled to be home and knew she would feel and look herself again in no time. She left the bathroom and turned the lights off in her room. Her bed creaked as she slid under the covers and Cagalli couldn't help but smile at the feeling of her own sheets gliding over her skin. She closed her eyes and snuggled into her pillow with a content expression.

…..

2:43 am.

Cagalli let out a frustrated huff and turned in her bed. She had laid down around ten and had yet to fall asleep. The princess spent her hours tossing and turning restlessly. She was miserable.

"Why can't I sleep?" she asked in desperation, staring at her ceiling in the dark.

Even though she asked the question, the natural girl already knew the answer. There was one thing that she couldn't get out of her head and it was preventing her from going to bed. Her father had told her when she was younger that she should never go to bed angry or upset with a loved one. His words haunted her and she bit her lip. She needed to talk to Athrun. She didn't want to, but her gut was telling her it was something that needed to be resolved immediately.

Cagalli threw the sheets off of her body and made her way through the darkness to her door. She twisted the knob and tip toed out into the hall. The manor was completely dark and the natural walked carefully down the hall until she was at the last room on the right. She reached for the door knob and hesitated. Would he be upset with her if she woke him up at such an ungodly hour? Cagalli thought for a few moments before remembering how Athrun had always been there for her in the past. He had told her that if she ever needed anything that she shouldn't hesitate to ask him. The princess bit her lip and twisted the door knob, there was no turning back.

Cagalli quietly pushed the door open and stepped inside the room. She halted abruptly as a familiar scent assaulted her nose. Her breaths became short and Cagalli's heart started to pound. She wondered if perhaps she should turn around and leave. Her courage was leaking out of her like a busted water line. Cagalli froze and found herself unable to move forward or leave the room. She gritted her teeth and her knees trembled as she stood in the doorway.

"Athrun?" she squeaked out after an immense struggle.

The room was silent and Cagalli cursed the fact he was sleeping so soundly. She clenched her fists and closed the door behind her. The natural took careful steps forward in the dark until her knees were touching the foot of his bed. She blindly reached out and touched the sheets. She felt around until her hand found one of his legs that was buried under the covers. She tapped it lightly and waited for him to respond. The coordinator remained still and Cagalli pursed her lips.

"That's it," she grumbled.

Cagalli reached out and began shaking his leg with a frustrated expression.

"Wake up!" she hissed.

The princess felt the figure under the sheets jerk suddenly and she heaved a sigh of relief as she saw his outline sit up in bed quickly.

"What the hell?" he snapped into the darkness.

Cagalli frowned and wondered if she had been a little rough. She blinked and walked around the bed so she was standing beside it. She bent over slightly and found the lamp switch, turning the small light on. Cagalli turned to see Athrun staring at her with an astonished expression. His hair was messy and his eyes were still foggy looking from sleeping.

"I'm sorry," Cagalli muttered, "But I haven't been able to sleep."

Athrun squeezed the sheets covering his legs and glanced off to the side with a frown. He heaved a tired sigh and found himself scooting over. Cagalli watched him with wide eyes and tilted her head when he patted the open spot next to him.

"Sit down," he told her without making eye contact.

Cagalli swallowed dryly and complied. She sat down next to him and pulled his covers over her own legs so they were sharing the same blankets. The natural turned her head and blinked at the coordinator next to her with questioning eyes.

"I know that it's the middle of the night," Cagalli started, "But my father always said never to go to bed angry or upset with someone you care about."

Athrun turned his head and stared at the girl sitting next to him with a stunned expression. Their shoulders brushed and the coordinator cleared his throat nervously.

"I knew that we were going to have to talk eventually, so I figured now is as good of a time as any," Cagalli shrugged with a small smile.

Athrun blinked at her and was rendered speechless. He shook his head and let out a laugh, surprising the girl next to him.

Cagalli narrowed her eyes, "Why the heck are you laughing!? This has really been bothering me! I tossed and turned all night, not able to catch a minute of sleep!"

"You really amaze me sometimes, you know that?" Athrun could help but smile as he gazed warmly at her.

Cagalli pulled her eyes away from his, suddenly feeling light headed. It was then that she realized how close they were. She gulped and her heart thudded anxiously in her chest. She was putty in the palm of his hand when he looked at her that way with those green eyes.

Athrun reached behind himself and grabbed one of his pillows. He propped it behind his back and leaned on it with a content sigh. The coordinator folded his hands across his chest and glanced up at Cagalli who was watching him with cautious eyes.

"How do I amaze you?" Cagalli found herself whispering with unblinking eyes.

"You should be furious with me and I thought that you wouldn't speak to me again. I'm honestly shocked you haven't kicked me out of this house yet," Athrun spoke as a small yawn escaped his lips, "Yet here you are, in my room, wanting to talk to me at three in the morning."

Cagalli's eyes shot down, "Sorry about waking you up."

Athrun stared up at her and he reached out, grabbing her wrist. Cagalli's gaze met his and he stared at her seriously with a determined expression.

"I'm sorry."

Cagalli inhaled sharply and her lip quivered as her emotions threatened to break her down. Her entire body trembled and she fought the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She couldn't believe that two simple words would mean so much to her. Athrun had become one of the most important people in her life and when he left it felt like a piece of her heart was being torn out.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a hushed voice with concerned eyes.

Cagalli pulled away from him and put her hands over her face in an attempt to hide her emotions. She was losing control and didn't want to appear like a crybaby. The princess couldn't believe that two words, 'I'm sorry', could impact her so much.

"You don't need to hold it in," Athrun spoke quietly as he watched the girl next to him struggle, "I'm here for you, and I don't plan on going anywhere ever again."

"Damn it Athrun," Cagalli sputtered as tears started to freely run down her reddened cheeks.

The coordinator sat up and scooted toward the crying girl, wrapping his arms around her gently. Athrun stroked her blonde hair and made soft hushing noises that seemed to soothe her. Cagalli's breathing evened out after several minutes and she pulled back, staring up at the dark haired boy that was holding her.

Cagalli had no idea how he did it. She had been so hurt by him and now he was easily healing her wounds. The months she spent thinking about him and wishing he would come back were painful. Now that he had returned she was overjoyed and wanted to move forward. There was no sense in holding a grudge against him. He had returned and was by her side again, pledging to remain there. At that moment, Cagalli knew that she wanted nothing more than to be with him. They meshed together and she greatly enjoyed his company. He was gentle, soothing, protective, and gave her the support she needed.

"Maybe this talk should wait," Athrun spoke as Cagalli sagged in his arms from exhaustion.

Cagalli's eyes fluttered and she tried desperately to keep them open. She was relieved that Athrun wasn't angry at her, and the warmth of his body was lulling her to sleep. He held her firmly and continued to stroke her blonde locks lightly.

Cagalli's eyes snapped open suddenly when Athrun began hugging her tightly, pressing his face into the crook of her neck. The natural girl hesitated before slowly wrapping her arms around his back. She marveled at the lean muscles she could feel through his thin shirt and a content smile spread across her lips.

"I missed you," he whispered against her neck.

Cagalli became stiff against him, not sure how to react. Her heart was thundering in her chest and she felt extremely nervous. She pushed him back and he blinked at her with a wounded expression.

"No, we need to do this now," Cagalli spoke with a frown.

Athrun sighed and twisted around so that he was facing Cagalli instead of sitting shoulder to shoulder. He cast his eyes to his nearby alarm clock which told him it was getting close to four in the morning.

Cagalli swallowed and folded her hands in her lap, "How do we start this?"

The pair stared at each other silently and Cagalli growled in frustration. Athrun wasn't the best conversation starter and she seemed to blabber on about nonsense when she initiated conversation.

"You really hurt me when you left!" Cagalli finally sputtered.

Athrun showed no signs of shock and waited for the natural girl to continue.

"Things were okay at first. I'd look at the ring you gave me every day and think about how you'd eventually come back. I was alright until the Seirans forced me to move in with them to fulfill my arranged marriage. They slowly chipped away at me until I had no hope left. I gave up on everyone and I think what hurt me the most was giving up on _you_. You were the one person who I depended on and when I was desperately struggling you weren't there, and I had to deal with it alone. I had feelings for you, and it was like a dagger to my heart. I felt like you left me, not caring that I was going to be marrying another man," Cagalli said as new tears developed.

"Cagalli…" Athrun trailed off.

"I think that's a good chunk of what I wanted to say," Cagalli spoke.

Athrun reached out and grabbed Cagalli's hand. She blinked at him and he gave her a gentle smile.

"I had to return to the PLANTs. At that time I felt useless in Orb. I saw the challenges you faced bravely every day and how you tried with all your might to avert another war. I found that I couldn't sit by and watch you do everything by yourself. I wanted to try and contribute so I returned to the PLANTs as the former chairman's son in an attempt to negotiate with the current chairman."

Cagalli's lips parted in surprise, "I had no idea you felt that way."

Athrun let out a small chuckle, "It wasn't something I wanted to broadcast."

Cagalli gritted her teeth and quickly swung her fist at the boy in front of her. It collided with the center of his chest and the coordinator's eyes popped open.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" Athrun exclaimed, rubbing his chest with a frown.

"For thinking you're useless," Cagalli spat, "I looked to you for support and you were always there for me. I can't believe you felt that way and didn't tell me, you idiot!"

Athrun sighed, "At the time I didn't feel like it was right to tell you. You had the weight of your country on your shoulders. There was no need to bother you with something insignificant like that."

Anger flashed in Cagalli's eyes and she grabbed Athrun's shirt firmly.

"What are you saying? Why would your feelings be insignificant?" she practically shouted, tears twinkling in her eyes.

Athrun stared at the girl in front of him with wide eyes; he had no idea what to say to her.

"I was busy. So what? I still would have wanted to know you felt like that. You're one of the most important people in my life. You've got to promise me that you'll talk to me from now on. Don't hide that kind of stuff," Cagalli said seriously.

Athrun nodded slowly, "I promise."

The two sat in silence and Cagalli watched the coordinator in front of her. He looked quite melancholy and she assumed he was doing what he always did, being too hard on himself.

"Hey," she said.

Athrun's head shot up and he stared at her.

"Quit blaming yourself, no one is perfect," Cagalli told him, "I don't like to see you with that sad sack expression."

Athrun gave her a small smile, "I'm sorry."

Cagalli rolled her eyes, "Let's start fresh, Athrun Zala."

The coordinator leaned in and placed a light butterfly kiss on her cheek. Cagalli instantly blushed and blinked at him with big amber orbs.

"I like the sound of that," he told her.

**A/N: Boom! This is the largest chapter yet for this story. Thank you readers! Reviews are nice, flames are not!**


	7. Second Chance

**A/N: I didn't get any reviews on the last chapter, *sad face*. Oh well, I'm pushing on! But good reviews make me happy and encourage me to post chapters quicker!**

***Song for this chapter: The Young and Beyond Reckless by Slaves**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny**

**Chapter 7: Second Chance**

Cagalli woke slowly the next morning and blinked in an attempt to clear her blurred vision. She sniffed lightly and her nose wrinkled in confusion at the familiar scent that surrounded her. The natural rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn before she started to sit up. Cagalli froze when her eyes focused and she could see that the room surrounding her was not her own. Memories of the previous night started flashing in her mind and her heart began pounding in her chest. The princess looked down at the other side of the bed and saw a messy head of midnight blue hair. Cagalli held her breath and watched the coordinator in silence. Athrun was still asleep and he was facing her. She swallowed dryly and blinked at his peaceful expression. Curiosity tugged at the natural girl and Cagalli found herself lying down on her stomach. She folded one of her arms under her chin and reached out with the other toward Athrun.

A small smile crossed her lips as she touched a strand of dark blue hair. She ran her fingers across it and her grin widened as she realized how soft it was. Cagalli continued stroking the boy's hair as her mind drifted to other things. She remembered the conversation that she and Athrun had held the previous night. Cagalli had no doubt that she had made the correct decision in coming to his room to talk. The longer she would have waited to confront him, the more awkward things would have become. Cagalli sighed as warm sunlight filtered through one of the windows. This day was the beginning of their fresh start. She was home and no longer engaged, and Athrun was back where he belonged and no longer in the PLANTs as a soldier. Cagalli paused from touching the silky hair under her fingers and she pursed her lips in thought. What were they going to do now? The princess started to pull her hand away and jumped in surprise when Athrun's hand shot out from under the sheets to firmly grasp her wrist. Cagalli's eyes shot to his, and she blinked as he opened them slowly.

"How long have you been awake?!" Cagalli exclaimed in embarrassment, her cheeks turning scarlet.

Athrun gave her a lazy smile and Cagalli immediately tried to look away from him. She started to sit up and push away from him, but the coordinator held onto her firmly.

"I've been up long enough," he murmured, "That was relaxing."

Cagalli inhaled sharply, "You had something in your hair!"

Athrun chuckled, "_Sure_ I did."

The princess bit the inside of her cheek, "Fine, you caught me. Your hair is quite soft, Mr. Zala."

Athrun released his hold on her and rolled onto his back with a content sigh. He stared up at the ceiling and stretched his arms over his head. Cagalli watched him with large amber eyes and her lips slightly parted. He shot a glance her way and chuckled.

"What are we doing today, Chief Representative Athha?" he questioned.

Cagalli rolled her eyes, "Going to the office to sort everything out. I haven't been able to work properly for months so I'm sure I have stacks of papers to tend to."

The princess slid out of bed and walked across the room to the door. She looked over her shoulder and Athrun stared back at her.

"Get ready _Alex_, I have a full day and I need my bodyguard to accompany me."

Athrun sat up and raised a delicate eyebrow at her. Cagalli laughed at his expression and left the room, shutting the door behind her. The coordinator sat in silence for a few moments before standing up. He couldn't help but feel warm inside. He was back in Orb with his friends and the woman that meant the world to him. Everything felt right.

….

Cagalli groaned as she sat at her desk in the Orb government office. Her office had many large windows which allowed sunlight to shine in. The room was bright and neatly kept with cream colored walls and beige carpet. Cagalli put her head down on the polished wood of her desk and let out a depressed sigh. Athrun stood leaning against the wall; watching the princess with an amused twinkle in his emerald eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at the door which opened as Kisaka entered the room.

"Good morning Chief Representative," Kisaka spoke with a pleased smile on his face, "It's good to have you back."

Cagalli brought her head up to stare at the North African man and gave him a hesitant smile, "I have a lot of work to catch up on, don't I?"

Kisaka nodded and stared at the stacks of papers that were piled on the natural's desk. He glanced over at Athrun who gave him a small nod of acknowledgment.

"If you need anything, come and find me," Kisaka spoke as he pulled another stack of papers out from under his arm.

Cagalli's eyes widened as he placed the stack on her already crammed desk. She looked to her bodyguard with an exasperated expression but Athrun seemed to avoid eye contact with a small grin on his lips.

"Kisaka! More papers?! You've got to be kidding me! Look at this desk!" the princess exclaimed.

Kisaka shrugged, "I'll leave you to your work."

Cagalli stared at the older man until he left the room. She then swiveled in her chair to glare at Athrun across the room.

"And _you_!" she pointed accusingly at him.

Athrun's eyebrows rose and he gave her an innocent tilt of the head.

"You were trying not to laugh! I could tell! Why don't you come over here and read all of these for me!"

Athrun finally let a laugh escape his lips. It was true, he had been biting the inside of his cheek while watching Cagalli's face when Kisaka had brought more work for her. She was like an open book and Athrun always found it entertaining to watch the emotions play across her features.

Cagalli pursed her lips and muttered, "Jerk," before she grabbed her pen and a section of papers off of a tall stack.

"Do you want me to leave?" Athrun asked her as he pushed off of the wall and approached her slowly.

Cagalli didn't look up at him as her eyes darted back and forth over the lines of the paper she was reading. She finished the first paragraph and slowly glanced up at the coordinator who was standing in front of her with a glint of something unknown in his emerald eyes.

Cagalli felt her cheeks grow warm, "Why are you looking at me that way? Do what you want! Leave or stay, it doesn't matter to me!" she exclaimed as her eyes shot back down.

Athrun gave her a disappointed sigh, "I'll leave for a while so you can focus on what you're doing."

Cagalli was silent and allowed herself to look up as he walked away from her. She watched his back and frowned as he closed her office door behind him. The natural let out a growl and squeezed her pen tightly in her hand. That was not exactly what she wanted to happen. Her relationship with Athrun still seemed somewhat fragile. Cagalli immediately regretted her harsh spoken words and knew that she had not been thinking before she spoke. She didn't want Athrun to think she thought he was a pest and didn't care about him. Cagalli wasn't an emotional person and it was hard for her to get sappy and express herself.

"Damn it," she muttered in frustration.

Cagalli stared down at the paper in front of her. She decided she would get done all that she could in Athrun's absence, and when he returned she'd apologize for snapping at him.

….

"Athrun? What are you doing here?" Kira questioned with a surprised expression as his best friend walked into the front door of the orphanage.

"Cagalli has a lot of work to do and I left her alone so she could focus," Athrun spoke with a dejected frown.

Kira sighed, "What's the _whole_ story?"

Athrun followed his friend into the living room and sat down next to him on the sofa. He quickly relayed what had happened the previous night and that morning with Cagalli. Kira listed patiently and looked thoughtful when the dark haired coordinator finished.

"It sounds like things are going alright, honestly," Kira shrugged, "You know Cagalli gets stressed about work. She was that way before you left and still is. Her job is incredibly important to her and I think that drove distance between the two of you when she became the Chief Representative of Orb. She was always busy and that left you alone wondering what you should be doing. Try not to get sucked back into that."

Athrun nodded, "I know, and I told myself that. She has a lot to catch up on after her absence so I understand."

"She needs a vacation."

Kira and Athrun paused and turned to see Lacus waving at them.

"Lacus? How much did you hear?" Kira asked.

Lacus gave him a sweet smile, "Enough to know that Cagalli deserves a break."

Kira turned in his seat so that he was facing the pink haired songstress. She brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and blinked at Kira with her cerulean eyes.

"I think I know what you're going to say…" Kira trailed off.

Lacus gave an innocent laugh, "I'm sure you do. I think that Cagalli and Athrun should come with us on our trip."

Athrun's eyes widened and he looked at his best friend with a confused expression.

"Lacus and I have been planning on taking a little vacation. We were talking about inviting the two of you to come with us and that's when we found out Cagalli was at the Seiran's and you were back in the PLANTs," Kira explained.

"Now that you're both back, we can continue with the trip we had in mind," Lacus spoke.

"Where are you going?" Athrun asked in a quiet voice, still surprised.

"Nothing fancy," Lacus replied, "We were planning on one of the resorts located here in Orb for about a week. Staying in a hotel and relaxing."

Kira smiled, "A little bit of a getaway."

Athrun was silent and glanced down at the floor with uncertainty.

"Athrun, this would be perfect for you and Cagalli," Lacus said gently.

The coordinator's head shot up and he blinked at his ex-fiancé.

Kira crossed his arms over his chest, "She's right."

"I don't want to scare her by asking her to take a _trip_ with me," Athrun spoke.

Kira laughed, "We're not saying this is some kind of romantic vacation. It can be what you want it to be. I think you and Cagalli both need a break from the everyday world. You need to relax, talk, and spend time with each other to get a solid connection again."

"Not a romantic vacation?" Lacus asked with a small frown.

Kira froze and glanced at the songstress hesitantly, "Well, I meant for them!"

Lacus gave him a smile and Kira let out a nervous laugh, "I'm serious Lacus!"

Athrun chuckled, "Make sure you book me a room that's not next to yours."

"Athrun!" Kira shouted, his cheeks bright red.

"You and Cagalli would be staying together in a room next to ours," Lacus said.

Athrun's green eyes doubled in size, "We'd be staying in the same room? How am I supposed to tell her that?"

"Would it really bother her that much?" Kira asked, "I thought you two were a little more than friends."

"We're starting _fresh_ and I don't want to pressure her into anything or move too quickly. I don't know how she feels," Athrun spoke with his eyes downcast.

Lacus sighed, "If she makes that big of a deal about it, tell her she can stay with me, and you boys can room together."

Athrun swallowed nervously and tugged at the collar of his shirt, "Alright…"

"Lacus, when are we leaving for this? You're the one who has done all the work on it," Kira asked.

Lacus smiled brightly, "The day after tomorrow."

"_What_?!" Kira and Athrun exclaimed at the same time.

"I'm sorry it's so sudden."

Athrun and Kira looked at each other in surprise.

"What if Cagalli can't get off work for this?!" Athrun exclaimed, "She has so much to do."

"Then go help her," Kira told him, "I'm sure Kisaka would help you guys out if you told him what was going on. He could probably watch things while she's gone. She wasn't there for months, what's seven more days?"

Athrun sighed, "I need to go."

"It's settled then, I'll see you two day after tomorrow. Meet here at seven in the morning," Lacus told Athrun as he rushed toward the front door.

The coordinator waved over his shoulder and closed the door behind him, jogging to his convertible. He couldn't believe Lacus had just sprung this news on him. It was only going to stress Cagalli out even more.

…..

Cagalli had completely lost track of time and was in the zone. She was flying through papers and signing each one of them with fervor. She cleared one giant stack and pushed them to the far side of her desk; moving to the next stack. The natural girl once again dove into her work and was halfway through the second stack when she heard a knock on the door. She paused and her heart started thudding nervously in her chest.

"Come in," she called out in an unsteady voice.

Cagalli's breath caught in her throat as she saw a familiar head of midnight blue hair. Athrun walked into the room and stopped once he was directly in front of her desk. He glanced down at natural girl and gave her a small smile.

"It looks like you've made some progress," he stated.

Cagalli placed her pen gently down on her desk, "I got through a good portion of it."

The two were quiet and Cagalli blinked up at the coordinator standing in front of her. Her guilt from earlier was eating at her until she could remain silent no longer.

"Athrun…"

His emerald eyes widened and he met her gaze with raised eyebrows.

"I'm sorry," she spoke in a hushed voice, "I didn't mean to snap at you earlier. I saw all of this work piled up and kind of shut down."

"I know, that's why I left so you could concentrate."

"I didn't want you to leave," Cagalli mumbled with an embarrassed blush.

Athrun blinked at her and couldn't help but smile at how she looked off to the side, trying to avoid his eyes.

"Where did you go?" Cagalli asked, trying to change the subject.

Athrun cleared his throat, "I went to see Kira."

Cagalli nodded and played with her pen, "That's good, how is he today?"

The coordinator swallowed nervously, "I actually have something to tell you."

Cagalli's amber eyes grew wide, "Oh no…"

Athrun paused, "What?"

"Don't tell me he's…" Cagalli trailed off with a shocked gasp.

Athrun furrowed his brow, "Cagalli?"

"Am I going to be an aunt?" she whispered with a horrified expression.

Athrun opened his mouth to speak but stopped and stared at the girl in front of him with a bizarre look. He then shook his head and closed his eyes as he started chuckling.

"Why are you laughing?!" Cagalli exclaimed, "Answer my question!"

Athrun shook his head, "You're not going to be an aunt. Kira and Lacus want us to go on vacation with them."

Cagalli looked thoughtful, "Really?"

"Yes, we leave day after tomorrow so we need to ask Kisaka to watch your position for a week and _we_ need to finish all this work by the time we leave."

"_We_ need to finish it?" Cagalli questioned.

"I'm going to help you, if that's okay," Athrun said.

"You will?"

Athrun turned around and grabbed one of the spare chairs in the room; pulling it up next to Cagalli. She watched the boy next to her cautiously and blinked as he grabbed a section of papers she had already read through.

"You need these filed, right?"

Cagalli nodded.

"Read through and sign them, I'll put them where they belong."

"Thanks," Cagalli stated as he started flipping through the pages in his lap.

The natural girl watched his hands as they quickly separated the documents. His fingers were long and nimble and she had a sudden urge to reach out to him.

"Cagalli?"

The princess jolted in her seat and her cheeks flushed as she realized for the past few minutes she had been staring at him. Athrun narrowed his eyes and watched the girl next to him carefully. He couldn't tell what she was thinking and it made him curious. Was she _that_ nervous around him?

"Are you okay about going on this trip? I know it's sudden," Athrun asked her.

Cagalli bit her lip, "It's fine. I think I need a break. Why did Kira and Lacus want us to come with them though? I figured a trip for them would be something romantic since they're together."

Athrun suddenly felt awkward, "Well…"

Cagalli's eyes widened, "Is it? Then why the heck did they invite us? Won't we be intruding?"

"Kira said it didn't matter. That we shouldn't worry about it and we'd be there as_ friends_," Athrun spoke numbly.

Cagalli caught the dull tone in his voice and tried to look him in the eye. His green orbs looked slightly pained and it pulled at the natural girl's heartstrings.

"Athrun," she spoke quietly and nervously placed her hand over one of his.

The coordinator froze and watched the girl in front of him carefully. He didn't move and didn't speak, waiting to see what she was going to do.

"What's bothering you right now? I can tell something is wrong," Cagalli said with a frown.

Athrun clenched his jaw, "I'm fine."

"Tell me. Didn't we promise last night we would talk to each other? We've started fresh, tell me what you're thinking. The last time you kept it to yourself you left."

Athrun inhaled and gritted his teeth, "I want to go on this trip."

Cagalli nodded, "Okay…"

"But I want more."

Cagalli blinked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I want more than just friendship Cagalli. That's not enough for me."

The princess gasped at his words. Her amber orbs were large with surprise and she felt her heart thud in her chest. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew that their relationship had always been on the cusp between friendship and something more.

"I gave you that ring when I left with every intention of returning and making you mine, but I never got that opportunity. I now have the chance, and I'm not going to squander it," Athrun told her with a hint of desperation in his face.

"I- I don't know what to say," Cagalli stammered out, feeling light headed.

Athrun felt his palms growing sweaty and he moved his hand out from underneath hers.

"I still feel the same way about you as I did when I gave you that ring."

Cagalli opened her mouth to speak but found that no words would come out. She was coming up blank and had no clue what to say. It pained her to watch Athrun struggle and she leaned toward him; placing her hands on one of his thighs. She peered up at him with innocent amber eyes and he watched her carefully.

"I'm not good at this kind of thing," she said quietly.

Athrun blinked, "Neither am I."

"I thought about you the entire time I was at Yuna's," Cagalli suddenly said, "It was like this ache that wouldn't go away. I kept thinking what things would have been like if I would have been marrying someone else…"

The coordinator watched as Cagalli brought one of her hands up and closed it in a fist over her heart. She trembled and dropped her eyes to her lap. He wanted desperately to pull her close and hug her tightly, but he refrained, waiting to see if she had more to say.

"Deep inside, I kept hoping you'd come back for me so I wouldn't have to marry someone I couldn't stand. After a month went by I started to tell myself that no one was coming and I was destined to marry Yuna and live the rest of my life with him. It made me so unhappy because it was like you forgot about me and tossed me to the side," Cagalli explained in a shaky voice, her eyes watering.

"Cagalli, I'd never forget about you. There wasn't a day that you weren't on my mind. I wondered how you were doing, and what you were doing. I was almost sick when Kira called me and told me you were getting married. I couldn't stand the idea of you being with another man, not after all that we've been through."

Cagalli sniffed and held back no longer. She threw her arms around the boy next to her and cried quietly into his shoulder. She squeezed him tightly and felt his soft hair against her cheek. Athrun hushed her and softly ran his fingers over her blonde head. A few moments passed and the princess leaned back, wiping her eyes with a sloppy smile.

"I'm sorry," she let out a small laugh.

Athrun gazed warmly at her, "You don't need to apologize."

The natural sniffed again and pointed, "But I got your shirt all wet."

"It'll dry," he shrugged indifferently.

Cagalli swallowed, feeling like there was a lump in her throat.

"What does this mean?" she finally asked.

Athrun sat back in his seat and folded his arms over his chest. The chair creaked under his weight and the coordinator glanced out one of the large windows with a thoughtful expression.

"Since you're no longer engaged…" Athrun trailed off and glanced in the blonde's direction.

Cagalli blinked and sputtered, "Are we dating now?"

Athrun's eyes widened and he let out a small laugh, "If that's alright with you."

Cagalli nodded slowly, "I never thought this would happen," she whispered with bright red cheeks.

Athrun wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head and smiled down at her.

"I didn't either, but I'm glad it has."

**A/N: Ah HA! End of this chapter. I hope I get a few reviews for this chapter since I didn't get any for chapter 6! I don't really feel like these two have moved very fast. Cagalli and Athrun already had an established relationship so that's why I felt this was alright, but they've finally made it official! Hurray! Reviews are nice, flames are not! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Starting Out

**A/N: Thank you to ellry, CYA, and my guest reviewers! Your kind words are awesome to hear and I'm glad you like what's happening so far!**

***Song for this chapter: Habits (The Chainsmokers Remix) by Tove Lo**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny**

**Chapter 8: Starting Out**

"This is crazy!" Cagalli exclaimed as she threw clothes out of her closet and they landed on the floor in her room.

It was around 10pm the night before the trip and she was packing last minute. Her room was dimly lit by her lamp and she huffed as she approached her dresser. The blonde pulled drawers open and started throwing pairs of underwear and socks in the floor along with a few bras. Cagalli felt like she was living a dream. A few weeks ago she was living her own personal hell. She was engaged to a man she hated, and was going to have to spend the rest of her life with him. She would have been stuck ruling Orb with Yuna and had to bear his children. Cagalli shivered in disgust at the thought of doing anything of that nature with him. Now, Cagalli was about to take a trip with the people in her life that were the most important to her.

There was a knock on her door and she turned to see Athrun enter the room silently. He smiled at her as he shut the door behind him and made his way toward her.

"Still packing?" he asked with an amused tone.

Cagalli motioned to all the clothes on the floor, "Obviously."

She turned around and pulled a suitcase out of the bottom of her closet and sat down on the floor with it. Cagalli began folding each article of clothing and placing it in her suitcase. Athrun walked over to her bed and sat on the edge of it, watching the blonde haired girl as she packed. Cagalli let out a small gasp and her cheeks reddened as she realized that her bras and panties were out in plain view for him to see. She reached out quickly and grabbed them all; stuffing them in her suitcase with a flustered expression. Athrun chuckled at her actions and leaned forward; placing his chin in the palm of his hand.

Cagalli swallowed thickly. Sure they were dating now, but she still felt incredibly embarrassed when it came to anything sexual. She wasn't experienced in anything that involved a boy except arguing with them. Cagalli pursed her lips as she remembered the one night she was in the desert when she had first met Kira. It had been before she knew he was her brother, and she remembered the girl who had been glued to his side. She had shouted about how she and Kira had spent the night together, and Cagalli remembered how her cheeks flushed and she left the area immediately. She didn't want to know anything about what Kira did with girls behind closed doors.

"That's quite a face you're making," Athrun spoke, causing Cagalli to jump.

"I was thinking about something," she replied, "More like remembering something I wish I could forget."

Athrun blinked, "Like what?"

Cagalli held her breath and stared at the coordinator from across the room. Athrun probably knew about things Kira had done, they were best friends after all.

"That one girl Kira used to date, I don't remember her name," Cagalli narrowed her eyes in thought.

"Are you talking about the girl that was killed?"

Cagalli nodded, "Yes, but when Kira and I first met she was always with him. One night she was yelling at another boy and I was eavesdropping. Kira got really upset and went off on the poor guy and she told him that she and Kira had slept together the night before."

Athrun frowned, "He hasn't said much about her to me. A couple times he has mentioned her, Flay was her name."

"She'd always get jealous when I was with Kira too, it was irritating. One day she came out on the deck of the Archangel when we were allowed to go outside, and she barely had any clothes on. Grabbed Kira in the middle of our conversation and I got up and left," Cagalli remembered with a sour expression.

"It sounds like you liked Kira or something," Athrun stated, raising his eyebrows.

"Well! I didn't know he was my brother back then!" Cagalli sputtered in embarrassment.

Athrun sighed and spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "So when you found out he was your brother, you latched onto me didn't you?"

"Athrun!" Cagalli exclaimed.

The coordinator let out a controlled laugh, "I'm joking."

Cagalli's chest was heaving and she looked around the room with wide eyes; her cheeks red.

"I can't believe you said that!"

"It's not all wrong though."

"I felt a connection with Kira when we first met, and now that I know we're related, that explains a lot!" Cagalli spoke.

"You two have the twin thing, don't you?"

"I don't feel his pain or finish his sentences if that's what you're asking," Cagalli shrugged and continued to pack her suitcase.

"Fair enough," Athrun smiled at her and Cagalli blinked at him with a pouting face.

She zipped her suitcase and walked over to the bed, plopping down next to him on the edge. Her room was quiet and she let out a yawn as it was getting close to eleven.

"What's that face for?" Athrun asked her softly.

"I don't like you saying that I latched onto you as a second choice. That's not true."

"Cagalli, I told you I was joking."

"Still…" she trailed off then her eyes widened with a bright smile, "Do you remember when we first met?"

Athrun wrapped his arm around her waist and looked up at the ceiling with a wistful expression, "How could I forget? The girl who screamed her head off when I held a knife to her throat. She also tried to steal my gun and shoot me. I also recall her falling into a large puddle in the middle of the rain, and then trying to order me around."

Cagalli playfully smacked his chest and Athrun grunted. He brought his eyes back down to meet hers, and their noses brushed. Cagalli inhaled sharply and her heart began pounding uncontrollably. She suddenly felt very self-conscious about the fact she had no real romantic experience. Athrun had kissed her one time, and that had been her first kiss. Yuna had forced several kisses upon her, but in Cagalli's mind they didn't count. She trembled and Athrun paused, staring down at her with unwavering emerald eyes.

"Are you alright?"

Cagalli gulped, her face as red as a tomato, "I- I, well, I mean…"

Athrun smiled at her and leaned back; removing his arm from her waist.

"Sorry, that was probably sudden. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Cagalli stared at the coordinator with wide eyes and wanted to shout at him. She didn't want him to move away and the only reason she felt uncomfortable was because she had no idea what she was supposed to do, not because he was in her space. She squeezed her fists in her lap and a thought came to her head.

"Athrun?"

"Hm?" he hummed out as he turned his head to look at her.

"Have you done this kind of thing before?" she asked in a low voice, feeling like an idiot.

Athrun furrowed his brow in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Cagalli shook her head quickly, "Nevermind! That was stupid to ask."

"Just ask me," Athrun sighed, "I won't think you're stupid."

Cagalli pulled her legs up onto the bed and laid down on her side with a huff. She rolled over so she was facing Athrun's back and rested her head on her pillow.

"Being physically involved with someone," Cagalli mumbled.

Athrun looked over his shoulder at the girl behind him who was currently hiding her face in her pillow. He turned around and stared at her with a look of surprise.

"Are you talking about being with someone intimately?"

"Sure, whatever!" Cagalli huffed.

"What brought this on? Why are you asking me that?" Athrun couldn't help but question.

Cagalli squeezed her pillow uncomfortably before words spilled out of her mouth, "I haven't been, okay? I've kissed one person and that was _you_ before you left for the PLANTs. Yuna tried to do some things with me, but I always pushed him away. I have no idea what I'm doing and it makes me feel like an idiot. I'm lost."

Athrun sighed, "It's not a big deal. The only other person I've been involved with was Lacus when we were engaged. We kissed many times and had a few occasions where things went a little further, but we never had sex."

"Further?" Cagalli questioned with raised eyebrows.

"We made out," Athrun shrugged, "It wasn't anything groundbreaking."

"I'm surprised," Cagalli stated.

Athrun blinked, "Why? Lacus and I were pretty reserved around one another."

"She's so perfect, I just assumed…"

"That since I'm a guy I'd be all over it?" Athrun asked with a knowing look.

Cagalli grinned sheepishly, "Maybe…"

"Well, that's not me," Athrun shrugged, "I've always been focused on being a soldier. Work was top priority for me. A lot of the guys that I worked with would jump from woman to woman, but I never saw what was so enticing about doing that. "

Cagalli smiled at the former ZAFT soldier. He was truly remarkable and not the average teenager. He was incredibly mature for his age and cared so much for his loved ones. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have him in her life. The thought of being without him again caused a painful ache inside of her chest.

"I wasn't uncomfortable earlier," Cagalli found herself speaking.

Athrun watched her steadily and raised his eyebrows, wanting her to continue.

"It's because I'm not familiar with stuff like that. I don't want you to laugh at me since I have no clue what I'm doing," Cagalli told him with a blush.

Athrun chuckled, "I'm not going to laugh at you. I'm not an expert either. Just because we've said we're dating now doesn't mean we have to jump into the physical stuff right away. We can take this as slow as you want it."

Cagalli frowned and poked at her pillow. Inside, she wanted to try things with Athrun. He was the one guy who made her feel comfortable and protected. She knew that he would take care of her no matter what they did. The natural swallowed, she wanted to be as close to him as possible. She wanted to do things with him that only _she_ could do as his partner.

"You should get some sleep," Athrun said as he stood up.

Cagalli's head shot up as he started to walk toward her door. After they had slept together the previous night, she wasn't sure she wanted him to leave. The blonde opened her mouth to call out to him but the door closed before she could speak.

"Damn it," she shook her head with a scowl and stood up quickly.

She ran to her dresser and pulled out a set of pajamas and quickly took her clothes off to put them on. She left her room and marched down the hallway to Athrun's room and threw the door open without knocking. She took bold steps into the room and froze when she saw him standing by his closet with nothing but a pair of red boxers on. Her cheeks turned scarlet and her hands flew up to cover her eyes.

"Cagalli! What are you doing?!" Athrun exclaimed as he scrambled for a shirt and pants to put on.

The princess peeked through the openings of her fingers and watched him shrug a shirt on. She stared at his silky undergarments and the heat on her cheeks grew. Athrun quickly pulled a pair of pajama pants on and faced her with a questioning tilt of the head.

"I can't sleep by myself."

Athrun blinked, "Did you even try?"

"I did last night, and it didn't work."

"That's because we still hadn't talked and it was bothering you. I'm sure you'll be fine tonight," he told her as he walked to the bathroom and turned the sink on.

Cagalli heard him start brushing his teeth and she sighed. He exited the bathroom a few moments later and watched her expectantly.

The blonde girl crossed her arms over her chest, "You're _my_ bodyguard and I'm in charge. I don't want to sleep in my room alone so I'm staying here again tonight."

Athrun rolled his eyes, "Playing the 'boss' card? Clever."

"Don't sass me!" Cagalli exclaimed.

"Whatever you say, _princess_," Athrun grinned, knowing he had just set her off.

Cagalli's eyes widened and she charged at him. He caught her wrists easily and laughed as she squirmed against him.

"Athrun! You jerk! Don't call me princess! You know how much I hate that!" she wiggled against him, trying to hit him.

He held onto her almost effortlessly. Her natural body struggling against his genetically superior form was almost comical. Cagalli huffed in exhaustion and her movements began to slow down.

"Are you done?"

Cagalli gritted her teeth, "Shut up! Don't act smart with me!"

Athrun shook his head, she was such a child sometimes with her temper. He released her and walked toward his bed. Cagalli watched him with pursed lips and eyed him suspiciously.

"Aren't you going to come over here?"

Cagalli's eyebrows rose and she didn't speak. She took a couple careful steps toward the bed and stopped once she was at the opposite side of the coordinator.

Athrun ran his fingers through his silky dark hair and released a fatigued chuckle, "You're too much."

Cagalli sat down on the bed with a creak and watched as he did the same. He turned out the light and pulled the sheets over both of them. The room was silent and Cagalli shifted around until she was comfortable. She smiled into the pillow as Athrun's masculine scent filled her nose. It soothed her and her entire body seemed to relax. She was about to drift off when she felt something warm against her back. She opened her eyes and stared into the darkness in confusion.

"Athrun?"

Cagalli froze when she felt and arm wrap around her waist. Her cheeks grew heated as the dark haired boy pulled her flush against his body. Athrun didn't speak and Cagalli exhaled slowly. She couldn't help but feel safe as his arm tightened around her. The princess closed her eyes and reveled in the feeling of his body heat which made her feel warm and protected.

…..

The next morning Athrun woke up around six in the morning and got up. He gathered his remaining items for the trip and kept glancing over at his bed where Cagalli was still sleeping soundly. He didn't have the heart to wake her up and smiled at how childish and innocent her face looked. Her lips were slightly parted and her breathing was slow. He didn't want them to be late meeting up with Kira and Lacus so he reached out, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Cagalli," he spoke in a quiet voice, jiggling her shoulder.

The natural girl let out a groan and her eyes opened sleepily. She squinted up at him with a hazy expression and shook her head.

"Not yet," she mumbled as she rolled over so her back was facing the dark haired boy.

Athrun's eyebrows rose and he shrugged, "You leave me no choice."

He grabbed the sheets and pulled them off the bed swiftly, tossing them on the floor. Cagalli let out a yelp and rolled back over, staring at him with a disgruntled scowl.

"Athrun!"

"You need to get up."

Cagalli rolled her eyes and sat up, "Fine."

"I'll be waiting for you downstairs," he said as he grabbed his fully packed suitcase and headed toward his door.

Cagalli watched him go and she yawned. She was really looking forward to leaving and having a vacation. She wanted a break where she could relax and spend time with her brother and her friends. The princess paused, thinking about how she and Athrun had finally agreed they were more than friends. She still couldn't believe that they had agreed to have a relationship and she was nervous about how to act toward him. Kira and Lacus were obviously using this trip as a romantic getaway, and she wasn't sure if Athrun expected the same.

Cagalli made her way to her room and got dressed; throwing a few last minute items into her bag. She blinked at herself in the mirror and sighed, she wasn't wearing the most feminine clothes, but she figured it didn't matter since they were traveling today. Cagalli stared at her suitcase and checked off items in her head; she finally zipped the bag up and headed for the door with a small smile playing across her lips. She walked down the stairs and saw Athrun waiting at the front door with Myrna. The older woman smiled at her and rushed forward when she made it to the bottom of the stairs. Myrna reached out and hugged Cagalli tightly, pulling back to give her a knowing look.

"You two have fun, alright?"

Cagalli blinked, oblivious to what she was insinuating, "We will."

Athrun cleared his throat, "It's time for us to go."

Cagalli waved at Myrna and followed Athrun out the door to the awaiting black convertible. He threw his suitcase in the back and reached for hers.

Cagalli swatted his hand away, "I've got it."

Athrun watched as she lifted her suitcase and placed it on top of his in the back seat. She grabbed the passenger door and opened it; sitting down in her seat with a huff.

"It's already hot out," she sighed as a few beads of sweat trickled down her forehead.

Athrun started the engine of the car and pulled out of the Athha manor's driveway. Cagalli smiled pleasantly as the wind blew against her face and cooled her down.

"I'm kind of nervous for this," Cagalli spoke again after they had been driving for a little while.

"Why?" Athrun questioned, glancing at her with raised eyebrows.

Cagalli studied his face and frowned. He looked completely comfortable and showed no signs of being anxious. Why was she the only one? His white button up shirt moved as the wind blew through it and Cagalli shook her head.

"I'm taking a trip with my boyfriend of one day!" Cagalli sputtered, "Aren't you affected by this at _all_?"

Athrun gulped and accidently jerked the car over the center line on the road. Cagalli let out a shout and grabbed the door with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?!"

Athrun inhaled deeply and straightened the car out. He looked in his rearview mirror and shrank down in his seat as he saw the driver behind him was giving him a nasty scowl.

"Athrun!"

"Everything is going to be fine Cagalli," he spoke.

Cagalli folded her arms, "You're not listening to me or paying attention."

"Let's not get worked up before this even starts," Athrun shot back.

"Don't snap at me!" Cagalli bit out.

The two paused and stared at each other warily for a few moments. Athrun shook his head with a tired expression and Cagalli huffed and looked out the side of the car at the tree line. They were almost to the orphanage and she didn't want to be at odds with Athrun before their trip began. Cagalli squeezed her fists and sucked up her pride.

"Athrun, let's not argue, I'm sorry. I'm a little nervous for this and it kind of bothers me that you seem to be completely comfortable," Cagalli spoke lowly.

"You need to relax, everything will work out," Athrun stated, staring at the open road in front of him.

Cagalli groaned, "I need more female friends."

Athrun blinked and turned in his seat to eye her.

"I need advice from my best friend…" Cagalli trailed off and then shook her head with a frown, "But my best friend is _you_!"

Athrun paused and knitted his brow, "Why can't you ask me for advice?"

"Because it's about _you_!" Cagalli exclaimed.

"Oh…" Athrun trailed off and then added, "Ask Lacus."

"Maybe I will," Cagalli said briskly and made a face at him.

"Did you just stick your tongue out at me?"

Cagalli grinned, "Maybe… what are you going to do about it?"

Athrun chuckled, "I'll think of something."

….

Kira grinned from ear to ear as he saw a shiny black convertible turn into the driveway of the orphanage. He turned around and jogged to his room, grabbing his suitcase. Lacus was right behind him wearing a lavender summer dress and carrying her bag. Kira glanced over his shoulder and took in her appearance appreciatively. His heart thumped in his chest and he couldn't help as his grin widened.

Kira paused as he heard a commotion outside. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Lacus with a questioning blink. She gave him a shrug and Kira reached for the front door slowly. He opened it and cautiously leaned outside; his eyes landing on Athrun's car that was parked nearby.

"What's going on?" Lacus asked from behind him.

Kira's jaw dropped and his eye brows shot up as he stared at his sister and best friend. A snicker escaped his lips before he let out a laugh.

"That's quite the positon you two are in," he called out as he approached them.

Athrun swung around and his cheeks flushed. Once he had pulled the car up to the orphanage he had proceeded to lean over and tickle Cagalli to get her back for sticking her tongue out at him earlier. He ended up halfway in her seat and the natural had her back pressed against the door. Athrun blinked and looked down, Cagalli underneath him with wide eyes and scarlet cheeks.

"Get off!" she shouted, pushing his chest.

Athrun narrowed his eyes and raised one eyebrow at her. She glared back up at him defiantly with amber orbs. He watched her steadily and blinked in surprise when she grinned at him and stuck her tongue out. Athrun's jaw partially dropped and she wriggled out from underneath him while he was stunned.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as she jumped out of the car without opening the door.

Cagalli laughed, "Nice try Athrun, better luck next time."

A smirk spread across the dark haired coordinator's lips and he stared at the natural girl with a look that was unnerving.

"Is that a challenge?" he questioned.

Cagalli swallowed thickly, "No!"

Athrun shrugged, "I'll get you back for that, when you least expect it."

Cagalli shivered, he had a mischievous look in his eyes and Athrun was a very intelligent guy. She knew he didn't make empty threats.

"You two seem close!" Lacus spoke with a suspicious smile, eyeing Cagalli.

The natural girl flushed and her eyes shot to the ground. Kira tilted his head and turned to Athrun with a questioning frown.

"What's going on?" Kira asked.

Athrun turned to Cagalli who refused to look him in the eye and he sighed after a few moments, "Nothing."

The blonde's head shot up in surprise and she stared at Athrun with wide eyes. The coordinator was wearing a disappointed expression and she instantly felt a pang of guilt. She was embarrassed to tell her brother that she was dating his best friend. There was no easy way to go about it. Plus, she didn't want to deal with the questions about their relationship. She felt it was a private and wanted to keep it that way for a little while longer until she figured some things out. Cagalli glanced at Lacus who was talking cheerfully to Athrun about the trip. He nodded at her with a blank expression and Cagalli winced. She sighed, later she was going to corner Lacus and ask her for advice on a number of things.

"Let's get going," Kira suddenly spoke.

"Can we fit all of the bags into the trunk?" Lacus asked as she stared at the two suitcases already in the back of the car.

Athrun nodded, "They should fit, I'll put our luggage back there too."

Cagalli reached out and grabbed her brother's sleeve as Athrun worked with the suitcases at the trunk. She looked up at him desperately and he stared down at her with soft violet eyes.

"What is it?"

"Will you sit up front?"

Kira blinked, "Yeah, of course."

Cagalli smiled at him, "Thanks," and slid into the back seat next to Lacus who was already waiting in the car.

Athrun slammed the trunk and frowned as he saw Cagalli sit down next to Lacus in the back. He opened the door and sat down in the driver's seat; starting the ignition.

"How are you today Cagalli?" Lacus asked, "It's going to be a beautiful day."

"Lacus…" Cagalli trailed off quietly so that the boys in front of them couldn't hear, "Could I talk to you later?"

Lacus' eyebrows rose in surprise, "Of course."

Cagalli gave her a weak smile, "Thanks."

The princess sat back in her seat and pondered what had just happened. What had sent Athrun's mood spiraling downward so quickly? She was at a loss. She replayed their moments before leaving in her head. Her brother had caught Athrun tickling her, and Lacus had said they looked close. Kira then asked what was going on and Athrun had looked to her. Cagalli's eyes widened in shock… that was it. He had wanted her to tell them they were together, but she was afraid. The natural swallowed uneasily. Why did that bother him so much? She folded her arms over her chest, maybe she needed to do what she did best, be blunt.

"Athrun and I are seeing each other."

The two boys had been in the middle of a conversation and Athrun turned around with huge eyes to stare at her. Kira swung around in his seat and Lacus was smiling brightly.

"Oh that's wonderful!" the pink haired songstress exclaimed.

Kira blinked, "Seeing each other? So you're d_ating_?"

Cagalli nodded and then looked at Athrun, "Turn around and watch the road! You'll kill us before we get there!"

Athrun instantly whipped back around to face forward. He could feel heat on his cheeks and a small smile made its way across his face.

"Good for you two," Kira remarked and then glared at Athrun, "You hurt her again, and I'll beat you to a pulp."

Athrun visibly shrank in his seat, "Thanks Kira, you're a great friend."

Kira laughed, "I'm your friend, but I'm her brother first."

Athrun chuckled, "I'll remember that."

**A/N: I won't lie, I've had this chapter sitting around for about a week. Bad, bad… I should have posted it sooner. Thanks to my reviewers! Your kind words make me smile!**


	9. Understanding

**A/N: ellry: Thanks for the reviews! **

**Azamaria Eve: Thank you! Glad you liked it.**

**Saber42: It makes me happy to know you enjoy reading so much! Here's an update!**

**Jdawgjpn: I'm glad you think so! Thanks for the review.**

**Alright, remember, it's summer right now in this story. So, because of that, Lacus, Kira, and Cagalli will all be 18 according to their birthdays. Athrun, however, doesn't have a birthday till October so that puts him at 17. The drinking age for this story is 18, which is what it would be in Europe and several other countries.**

**Once again I'm a bad author… I've had this chapter sitting around for about two weeks. Just adding and tweaking bits of it. It's longer than the other chapters, so read and enjoy.**

***Song for this chapter: Coloured Glass by Draper**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny!**

**Chapter 9: Understanding**

Cagalli stared up at the monstrous building that was to be their hotel for the next seven days. Her lips parted and she blinked at it with a look of fascination. It was white and had large windows which were glowing from the lights inside. Cagalli glanced over her shoulder at Athrun and grinned at him, unable to hide her excitement. He returned her grin with a small smile and soft eyes. The group had traveled all day in the car and they were quite exhausted. It had been a fairly quiet trip with small chit chat here and there. Cagalli was relieved that the tension between her and Athrun seemed to have dissipated, but still wanted to talk with Lacus later.

"We will go in and get our room keys," Lacus announced and grabbed Cagalli's arm, "Will you two please grab the bags?"

"Sure," Kira replied simply and turned around toward the trunk of the convertible.

Athrun's eyes never left Cagalli's and he watched her intently in the dim light of the evening. She gave him a small tilt of the head and then was forced to turn around as Lacus tugged her to follow. The evening breeze was warm and Athrun swung around to face Kira.

"So you and my sister huh?" Kira asked without looking up as he started pulling the luggage out of the car and placing it on the ground.

Athrun couldn't help the small blush that crept onto his cheeks and he nodded slowly, "Yeah."

"That'll be interesting," Kira said with an amused chuckle, "She can be a handful."

Athrun instantly smiled, "Yes, she can be."

"I'm surprised it took this long."

Athrun blinked and picked up his and Cagalli's bags, "What do you mean?"

Kira shrugged as he threw his bag over his shoulder and picked up Lacus', "You two started getting weird around each other after you joined up with us on the Archangel."

"Weird?"

Kira laughed, "It's funny how you two randomly met, and then instantly developed a connection. It was meant to be apparently."

Athrun knitted his brow, "You didn't answer my question."

Kira blinked at Athrun dramatically with the best doe eyes he could muster and spoke, "How she'd look at you like this, then you'd look away with bright red cheeks."

Athrun scoffed, "No."

"Yes."

"Kira!" Athrun exclaimed with an embarrassed look.

Kira rolled his eyes, "It's true and I know you wear that necklace she gave you everywhere. You don't take it off, do you?"

Athrun's hand shot up and landed on the Haumea amulet that was resting under his shirt. His breath hitched in his throat and he swallowed thickly as he remembered Cagalli giving him the good luck charm in hopes it would keep him out of trouble. He was convinced it had saved his life on numerous occasions and it was one of his most treasured possessions.

Kira smiled knowingly as he watched his best friend, "You'll have to get her something new."

Athrun blinked, shaking off the memories that were flashing through his head, "Huh?"

Kira pointed at his ring finger, "They took your ring from Cagalli while she was staying with Yuna Seiran."

Athrun gritted his teeth at the thought and he nodded, "I will."

"Especially now that you're dating," Kira snickered and elbowed his friend in the side.

"Ouch!" Athrun grunted and he stumbled a few steps from the impact.

Kira sighed contently and looked up at the darkening sky, "Everything seems to be working out."

Athrun gave him a small smile, "For the time being."

Kira turned and frowned, "We better get inside before we get yelled at."

"Lacus wouldn't yell at you," Athrun stated.

Kira pointed at the hotel entrance in front of them where a lone figure stood with crossed arms, "But she would."

Athrun glanced up and his eyes widened as he saw Cagalli glaring at them.

"We're coming!" Kira called as he broke into a jog.

Athrun followed blindly and Cagalli reached out, grabbing him by the wrist, "Forgetting something?"

He stared at her with raised eyebrows before she pointed over his shoulder, "You can't leave the car there."

"Damn it," Athrun grumbled, completely blanking on the fact he needed to park the car.

"Let me take the bags," Cagalli said and held her hands out.

"No, I've got it," Athrun shook his head.

"Athrun, you need to park the car, let me take the bags."

"You don't have to."

Cagalli took a deep breath and spoke lowly, "_Athrun_."

The coordinator felt a cold chill run down his spine but held onto the luggage firmly. The two stared at each other, neither backing down. Cagalli didn't understand what the big deal was. He needed to park the car and she thought it would be easier for her to carry the bags inside since they were already at the door.

"Why are you so insistent?" she questioned with narrowed amber eyes.

"Because, you don't need to carry these, I've got them," Athrun stated.

Cagalli rolled her eyes, "Not a very convincing answer. Is this because I'm a girl? I'm not helpless you know."

Athrun looked over her shoulder and saw Kira watching him a few feet away. He was making hand motions at Athrun, but he had no idea what they meant.

Athrun took a deep breath, "Let's compromise. I'm going to leave them here at the door. You watch them, and when I come back from parking the car I'll pick them up. Is that fair?"

Cagalli shook her head with a smile on her lips, "What are we doing? Arguing about who carries the bags… That's fine, do what you want."

The coordinator dropped the luggage and walked back to the car, starting the ignition and driving off toward the parking places at the side of the hotel.

"Cagalli!" Kira exclaimed, "What were you doing?"

Cagalli blinked obliviously, "What do you mean?"

"You're Athrun's girlfriend now," Lacus spoke up, "He wants to be a gentleman and carry your things. Don't fight with him about it, he's trying to be thoughtful."

Cagalli's jaw dropped and she suddenly felt incredibly stupid, "Shoot."

Kira shook his head, "You don't have to do everything by yourself Cagalli. Athrun's there for you and he wants you to depend on him a little."

"Guys like to feel needed, don't they?" Lacus smiled sweetly at Kira.

Kira laughed, "Well, I guess that's true."

Cagalli stared at the couple in front of her with a baffled expression. She was lost. Was there a book on this relationship thing? Everyone seemed to know what was going on except her. She let out a frustrated huff. All she had wanted to do was take the bags because it would be more convenient. The princess had been unaware something as simple as carrying bags could turn out to be monumental in the realm of relationships.

"Here he comes," Kira spoke and Cagalli turned to see Athrun grab the bags and walk toward them.

Cagalli's eyes shot to the floor and she frowned, still lost in thought.

"Room keys," Lacus stated and handed two to Cagalli.

The natural's head shot up and she gripped the cards tightly. She turned and handed one to Athrun, who slid it into his pocket. Cagalli found herself looking around at the extravagant hotel as they walked toward the elevator. The carpet was a rich red and the walls were bathed in golden light from the hanging chandeliers. The elevator let out a ding as it arrived and the four stepped onto it so that they could ride to the fourth floor where their rooms were located.

"Did you see the bar?" Kira asked Athrun as the elevator began going up.

Athrun shook his head, "I saw the sign pointing to where it was."

"You're too young for it anyway," Kira said, nudging his friend and trying to rile him up.

Cagalli blinked, "You're right."

Athrun pouted with downcast eyes, "I'm aware that I'm the only one who has yet to turn eighteen. Thank you for reminding me."

Cagalli bit her lip in an attempt to refrain from laughing, but ended up snorting which caused her to laugh hysterically. Athrun watched her unblinking and scowled as Kira and Lacus began laughing as well. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Athrun got out first and started walking down the hall. It was quiet and Cagalli jogged to catch up with him.

"Cagalli!"

The princess turned to see Lacus waving as Kira walked in the opposite direction. She paused and grabbed Athrun by the back of his shirt. He let out startled noise and jerked to a stop.

"I forgot to tell you, we're on the same floor, but not next to each other. Two rooms side by side weren't available," Lacus called out.

Cagalli blinked and looked down at the key in her hand that had 421 printed on it.

"We're in 404," Lacus continued, "We're going to put our things away and plan on having dinner soon. You're welcome to join us."

Cagalli waved in response and Athrun started walking again.

"What do you want to do?" she asked the boy in front of her.

"It's you're decision," he returned with a small smile over his shoulder.

Cagalli frowned, was this another relationship thing where Athrun was trying to be a gentleman and accommodate her?

"I want to eat and then explore."

Athrun paused as they stopped in front of room 421. He blinked at her with questioning eyes.

"Explore?"

Cagalli crossed her arms, "Yeah, I probably sound like a kid, but this hotel is gigantic and I want to look around."

Athrun chuckled, "Whatever you want."

Cagalli handed him the room key and he swiped the card through the reader. The white door clicked and Athrun pushed it open gently. Cagalli followed him hesitantly into the room, not knowing what to expect. Athrun flipped the light switch and Cagalli gasped as the door closed behind her.

"No way!" she exclaimed, rushing further into the room with wide eyes.

Athrun placed their bags down and watched as his girlfriend scurried around the room like a child exploring a fun house. There was a large king sized bed situated in the center of the wall with crisp white sheets and half a dozen fluffy down pillows. One large window with cream colored drapes was on the back wall where an astonishing view of the ocean could be seen. A flat screen television was present and next to it was a table where a mirror and coffee machine were resting. Cagalli swung around and rushed to the bathroom; letting out another gasp of surprise.

"Athrun! Look at the bathroom!"

The coordinator poked his head into the bathroom and his eyebrows rose, "This is nice."

The shower was large and surrounded by fogged glass with tiled walls. Cagalli ran her palms over the smooth marble countertop where the sink was. She blinked at herself in the mirror and then turned to Athrun with a grin.

"This is great."

"I'm glad you like it," he replied, "Lacus did a nice job picking this one."

Cagalli walked around him and plopped down on the bed with a laugh as the mattress bounced underneath her.

"This bed is incredible. The sheets are soft, the pillows are fluffy, and it's so pretty," Cagalli said as she stared at the ceiling.

The natural paused as a sudden realization hit her. This wasn't _her_ bed, it was _their_ bed because they'd be sharing it for the next seven days.

"Cagalli?"

"Nothing!" Cagalli exclaimed quickly and sat up so she was facing him.

Athrun gave her a knowing stare and narrowed his emerald eyes at her. The coordinator took a step toward her and before Cagalli knew it she was staring at the ceiling with Athrun hovering over her. He had her wrists pinned above her head and one knee between her thighs. The natural's chest heaved up and down and she turned her head to avoid his eyes staring down at her.

"Look at me."

Cagalli closed her eyes in response and continued to turn her head to the side. Athrun reached down with one hand and gently grabbed her jaw between his finger and thumb; turning her face to look up at him.

"Open your eyes Cagalli," Athrun drawled.

"No!" Cagalli sputtered, biting the inside of her cheek.

Athrun shook his head at her stubbornness and leaned down, kissing her lips. Cagalli instantly jerked underneath him at the contact and her eyes popped open in shock. Athrun pulled back and smirked down at her.

"Hello."

Cagalli let out a growl and strained against his grasp. Her hands were pinned firmly above her head and she was unable to budge. She gritted her teeth in frustration. She was nothing compared to him in physical strength. His makeup was far superior to hers and she knew it.

"Athrun…" she trailed off, staring up at him, feeling nervous, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to get your attention," he replied.

Cagalli's face fell, "Well, I think you have it."

Athrun shifted his weight and Cagalli's lips parted as a familiar pendant slid out of the unbuttoned neck of his shirt and hung above her nose; swinging slightly.

"The Haumea amulet I gave you," she whispered, not taking her eyes off of it.

Athrun watched her, his chest swelling with a wave of emotions for the woman underneath him. In that moment he marveled at how beautiful she was. The way she was completely under his control filled him with pride. Cagalli was always dominant and outgoing due to her position as Chief Representative of Orb. The thought that he was the only one who could see her in this submissive state made his heart pound. She wasn't a girly girl. She didn't wear feminine clothes all of the time, her hair was shorter, and she wore little to no makeup. Athrun didn't care, in his eyes she was perfect, and he didn't want her to change.

"Do you wear it all the time?" Cagalli questioned, noticing Athrun seemed to be lost in thought.

The coordinator blinked and smiled down at her, "I only take it off when I shower."

"I can't believe you still have it," Cagalli murmured.

"Why wouldn't I? You're the one who gave it to me."

"But I gave it to you after I thought you killed Kira. I figured you would be a little angry with me after I shouted and pointed a gun at you."

Athrun shrugged, "Everything you said that day was true. You're speech really moved me… even if you were screaming it and waving a gun in my face as you said it."

Cagalli narrowed her eyes and playfully stuck her tongue out. Athrun's eyebrows rose and he leaned down quickly, capturing her lips in an open mouthed kiss. Cagalli gasped into his mouth and pulled against his hand that was still pinning her wrists above her head. Moments passed and Cagalli wriggled under the coordinator. Athrun pulled away from her and gave her a crooked smile, his midnight blue hair hanging serenely around his face. Cagalli gasped, breathing heavily as she was finally able to take in air once more. Her lips felt warm and her airway burned from the lack of oxygen. She paused and her eyes went to Athrun's and she found herself staring at him in wonder.

"What?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.

"You're so pretty Athrun."

"I'm… pretty?"

Cagalli grinned at him, "Yes."

Athrun sighed, "That's not exactly a common compliment that you give to a guy."

"But it's true!" Cagalli exclaimed.

Athrun chuckled and Cagalli strained against his hold once more. He reluctantly released his grip on her and her hands shot straight to his face, surprising him.

"Your hair is perfect," she spoke as she twirled a few midnight blue strands around her fingers.

Athrun blushed and turned his head, "I already know about your infatuation with my hair."

Cagalli gasped, "What do you mean?"

"When I woke up the other morning and you were petting it?" he reminded her with a flat tone.

"Oh…" Cagalli grinned sheepishly, "Yeah."

Athrun's eyes shot to the clock that was on the night stand by the bed. He sat back and slid off the bed; standing up.

"We should meet up with Lacus and Kira for dinner."

Cagalli nodded and sat up; stretching her arms over her head. She sighed in relief and stood up, walking toward the door.

"Do you have the room key? I left mine on the counter," Cagalli asked as she reached for the door knob.

"It's in my pocket," he replied, patting it to make sure.

The couple walked out into the hallway and Cagalli glanced down at Athrun's hand. She bit her lip and hesitantly reached for it. Athrun eyed her discreetly and the corner of his mouth twitched as he watched the girl next to him struggle. He met her halfway and intertwined his fingers with hers. Cagalli sighed in relief and Athrun looked up to see Kira and Lacus walking toward them.

"Do you think Kira is _pretty_?" Athrun asked with raised eyebrows.

"Are you _that_ bothered by me calling you that?" Cagalli asked.

Athrun shrugged, "I don't know how to take it. I'm a guy, we're not usually classified that way."

"Do you want me to say you're hot? Would that make you feel better?" Cagalli asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Athrun rolled his eyes, "You don't mean it."

"I think you're pretty. Your hair is perfect, you have bright green eyes, flawless skin, and you dress well," Cagalli shot back.

"If someone was eavesdropping on this conversation, they'd think that was directed toward a woman," Athrun stated dryly.

"Take it or leave it."

Athrun sighed in defeat as they finally met Kira and Lacus.

"Kira, is Athrun pretty?" Cagalli asked.

"Cagalli! What are you doing?!" Athrun exclaimed with embarrassment.

Kira blinked and looked at his best friend, "I think that's pretty accurate."

Athrun's face fell, "Are you serious?"

Kira laughed, "You've got longer hair, maybe that's what it is."

Athrun groaned, "Why does everything revolve around my hair."

"Because it's _pretty,"_ Cagalli elbowed him with a laugh.

Athrun glared down at her, but kept his mouth shut.

"Let's go eat!" Lacus announced.

"Right!" Cagalli nodded in agreement.

….

"Where are you two off to?" Kira asked as the foursome left the hotel dining room.

Their dinner had been wonderful and Cagalli let out a yawn. Now that she was full she was suddenly feeling tired and her eyelids were drooping.

"Cagalli? Did you still want to look around?" Athrun asked her.

She pursed her lips and thought for a moment, "I think so."

Athrun nodded, "Alright," and then turned to Kira and Lacus, "Are you two going back to your room?"

Kira glanced at Lacus, "I think we're going to visit the hotel bar for a little bit."

Lacus nodded and turned to Cagalli, "Did you still want to meet up tonight?"

Cagalli could feel Athrun staring down at her and she avoided his eyes, "Maybe tomorrow, it's getting late."

Lacus smiled, "That sounds fine."

Cagalli gave her brother and his girlfriend a wave and she turned back to Athrun.

"What as that about?" he asked curiously.

"I told you I needed to talk to someone and get advice," Cagalli answered.

"You still need advice? I thought we were doing alright."

"We are, but I still want to talk to Lacus," Cagalli shrugged, "Maybe it's a girl thing."

Athrun chuckled, "No, it's not. Guys talk to their friends about that kind of thing too."

Cagalli glanced around and found a sign with arrows pointing in different directions. Her eyes widened as she read and she placed one of her fingers on her lips in thought.

"A pool, sauna, gym, bar, and conference rooms for business meetings," she mumbled as she read down the list.

Cagalli spun around, "I want to see the pool."

"Alright," Athrun stated and held his hand out, which she grabbed without hesitation.

The couple walked down the hall that the sign directed and Cagalli sniffed the air, a grin spreading across her lips.

"I can smell the chlorine from the water," she said with growing excitement.

"I wasn't under the impression you enjoyed swimming," Athrun stated, "Not after our island encounter."

"I was under stress in that situation! I don't enjoy swimming when someone has tied my wrists and ankles up so I can't move!"

Athrun let out a nervous laugh, "I had to make sure you couldn't attack me."

"I was on the ground in a puddle in the middle of the rain! The water got really high! You jerk! Then you laughed at me!"

The coordinator bit back the laugh that was threatening to come out, "You were so mouthy when we first met, then again, you still are."

Cagalli rolled her eyes and pulled her hand from his, "Not the best complement Athrun."

"Well, calling me _pretty_ is not the best compliment in my opinion. So we're even."

Cagalli growled and folded her arms roughly across her chest as they continued walking. They arrived at the entrance which led to the pool area and the natural paused; standing on her toes so she could look through small window at the top of the wooden door.

"It looks pretty big," Cagalli spoke and hesitantly looked at the door knob.

"Why don't we go in?"

"No, I just wanted to see what it looks like. There are people in there swimming, I don't want to weirdly walk around and stare at them. We will have to come back and swim at some point."

Athrun shrugged, "Did you bring your swimsuit?"

"Yes…" Cagalli trailed off, a small blush creeping across her face.

The blonde swallowed slowly, remembering her shopping trip she had taken with Lacus earlier in the summer before she had been imprisoned with the Seirans. Cagalli had owned one bathing suit and it was a one piece that left much to be desired. It was old and worn out, and Lacus had insisted she needed a new swimsuit. The pair had gone out and went shopping in a popular section of Orb where the streets were lined with a variety of clothing stores. After several hours, Cagalli had returned home with a couple bags of new clothes. Lacus had convinced her she needed a wider selection in her wardrobe. Cagalli preferred to wear comfortable clothes, but she went along with the songstress and accepted her help in picking out some more feminine outfits.

Cagalli's blush grew as she remembered the swimsuit she purchased. When she tried it on in the changing room she felt incredibly embarrassed. It barely covered anything and left the princess feeling quite self-conscious. When she showed Lacus, the songstress had smiled brightly and told her it was perfect, insisting that she buy it. Cagalli inwardly groaned, she wanted to swim, but wasn't sure she wanted to pay the price of letting complete strangers stare at her in some skimpy bathing suit. She glanced at Athrun and shuddered, he'd see her in it too, and that made her nervous.

"I want to see what they've got in their gym," Athrun spoke as he started walking away from her.

Cagalli watched him move away and she quickly scampered after him, her throat dry. They walked down a few hallways before arriving at a counter where guests could show their room keys and get access to the gym.

"I might come down here," Athrun mumbled to himself as he read a pamphlet from the desk.

Cagalli couldn't help but laugh at his serious expression as he examined the workout equipment that was listed. When he had first moved in and began staying with her in Orb, she remembered how Athrun had struggled to find a proper workout regimen. In the military, he had all of the proper facilities provided to him so that he could remain in peak physical condition. Cagalli smiled as she remembered how he'd wake up before dawn and would go run for a couple of hours before she woke up.

"Do they have the right equipment for coordinators?" Cagalli asked him.

Athrun's eyes shot up, "Actually they do. There are machines in there for naturals and coordinators."

Cagalli rolled her eyes, "Remind me to never exercise with you. You'd put me to shame."

Athrun smiled at her, "It's not your fault."

"You probably can run a mile in about four minutes, can't you?" Cagalli put her hands on her hips.

Athrun rubbed the back of his neck, "I can finish one mile in a little over three."

Cagalli huffed and rolled her eyes, "That's not even fair. The most physically fit natural runs a mile in about six, yet you can do it in half the time."

"It's unfair to compare what a natural can do versus what a coordinator can do."

"You're right. This is why there are so many problems between the two. The naturals get jealous, and the coordinators view themselves as superior," Cagalli spoke with a small frown.

Athrun grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "Yet you're in charge of a nation where coordinators and naturals get along peacefully. So it's possible for the entire world to become that way someday."

Cagalli smiled at him and inhaled, "I still can't believe that I met the son of the PLANTs' chairman on a deserted island and we became friends. What are the odds? I'm also glad that you're open minded where your father wasn't. You don't harbor a hatred for naturals and that makes me happy."

A small frown graced the coordinator's mouth and he spoke lowly, "I remember when my father said that the entire point of the war I was fighting in was to exterminate every natural that existed. I was horrified he wanted to do something so heinous. I immediately thought about how that would mean you'd be killed too, just because of the way you were born and it made me so angry."

Cagalli felt her bottom lip tremble as she sensed the emotion in the coordinator's voice. She could hear the pain and anguish in his voice.

"He wouldn't be happy with you if he was still alive… would he?" Cagalli couldn't help but ask, knowing it was a sensitive topic.

Athrun let out a dry laugh, "No."

The natural's eyes shot to the ground and she suddenly felt sad. She loved her father immensely and couldn't imagine what it would be like to be in Athrun's position. His mother was gone, and his father had been a tyrannical leader who had wanted to wipe out an entire section of humanity. Cagalli had nothing but fond memories of her father while Athrun was haunted by nightmares of his.

"Athrun…" Cagalli trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes.

He pulled her into a hug, "Please don't cry, there's no reason for you to."

Cagalli clenched her jaw and composed herself, pulling back to look up at him, "Just remember that I'm always here for you and I'll support you no matter what you do."

Athrun gave her a genuine smile and kissed her lips lightly, "You'll never know how much that means to me. Thank you."

Cagalli sighed and wiped a stray tear from one of her eyes that managed to escape. She sniffed and squeezed his hand that was still intertwined with hers.

"Let's go back to the room," she said quietly.

"Tired?"

"Yes."

Athrun nodded and the pair started walking back down the hall toward the elevator. They were silent, but both wore small smiles on their lips. They rode the elevator to the fourth floor and arrived at their room.

"Key?" Cagalli held her hand out and Athrun pulled it out of his pocket, handing it to her.

She slid the key through the detector and gave it back to the coordinator next to her; opening the door. Cagalli entered the room first and let out a relieved sigh as she plopped down on the foot of the bed. Athrun closed the room door quietly and glanced at the clock.

"It's almost eleven. I wonder if Kira and Lacus are still downstairs," he mumbled thoughtfully.

Cagalli let out a small laugh, "I hope they didn't get carried away."

Athrun glanced at her with raised eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

The princess laughed again, "Didn't you ever watch any romance movies or read any books? The guy takes the girl to the bar, they drink and have a little too much, which leads to naughty things later."

Athrun's cheeks turned scarlet, "I've never come across anything like that while reading books or watching television."

"Of course not," Cagalli gave him a bored look as her thoughts drifted to her brother and Lacus.

They were an ideal couple. When Cagalli looked at the pair she could feel the chemistry radiating off of them. The blonde glanced at Athrun who was kneeling on the ground sorting through his bag intently. She rolled her eyes, they didn't have that type of chemistry at the present moment. Cagalli bit the inside of her cheek and reminded herself that this was new for her so things might take longer to develop.

"I'm going to take a shower, okay?" Athrun said, gathering the hygiene items he had brought with him.

Cagalli shrugged, "Sure," and scooted back on the bed; grabbing the television remote.

He watched her steadily as she scrolled through channels and the blonde finally looked up, giving him an exaggerated wave. Athrun rolled his eyes and entered the bathroom with a small smile on his face.

…..

"I wonder what Cagalli wanted to speak with me about?" Lacus asked as she sipped on her second drink at the hotel bar.

Kira swiveled around on his bar stool to face her and stated, "She wants to talk to you about Athrun."

"Really?"

He shrugged, "More than likely. Did you see how confused she was earlier when he wanted to carry her bags? She needs some guidance."

"Poor Athrun," Lacus couldn't help but smile as she said it, "He's already slightly fragile when it comes to matters of the heart."

Kira laughed, "He really is."

The bar was in a large room and stretched from one end to the other. There were many people sitting at it with a variety of colorful drinks. Music was playing and the lights were dimmed. Kira gazed at Lacus intently in the low lighting and a grin spread across his lips. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and raised a delicate pink eyebrow.

"What are you looking at me that way for?"

Kira's grin grew. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him and he couldn't believe that she was his. She was kind, caring, understanding, gentle, yet strong at the same time.

"I love you Lacus," he said, not taking his violet eyes from hers.

Lacus gasped and her cerulean eyes glittered in the low lights. She smiled and reached over, grabbing his hand softly.

"I love you too and I'm so happy to have you in my life Kira. I'm glad we can be together and have great friends like Cagalli and Athrun with us. It's wonderful."

Kira leaned forward, capturing her lips swiftly. He paused as she began sucking on his bottom lip and his heart thudded eagerly in his chest. Lacus pulled back and looked up at him with innocent eyes. Kira clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to drag her back to their room and explore the rest of her body with his tongue. He licked his lips at the thought and then cleared his throat; turning away as he tried to regain his composure. Lacus giggled at him and reached for her drink, taking another sip. Kira did the same, sighing as the alcohol ran down his throat and seemed to calm him a bit.

"Lacus…" he suddenly said, his voice tense.

She blinked at him, "What is it?"

Kira couldn't take it any longer. He was dating Lacus, but he wanted for them to take the next step. He inhaled sharply at the thought of his previous relationship with Flay. The natural girl had been there for him and comforted him in his time of need during the war. Kira clenched his fists as he remembered how she had coaxed him into a more intimate relationship until they had finally had sex. He didn't regret it, but he knew that his relationship with Flay was nothing like the one he had with Lacus. Flay had been angry and was obsessed with getting revenge on the coordinators who killed her father. Lacus was innocent and pure. She was a light that illuminated his soul when he was around her. She made him happy and gave him the desire to live and move forward from his war ridden past.

"I want to take this to the next step… if you're okay with it," Kira said slowly, his eyes unblinking as he watched her face carefully.

Lacus puckered her lips in thought, and then realization hit her as she realized what he was asking. She shifted in her seat and grabbed a strand of pink hair, twirling it around her finger as she looked down.

"Kira… I'm not ready to have children."

The coordinator blinked, "I'm not asking you to."

"But doing _that_ leads to children, and I'm not ready to take on something like that," Lacus said.

Kira sighed, not wanting to give up, "It won't happen if we're careful."

Lacus slowly brought her eyes up to meet his and he smiled at her as he asked, "Do you honestly think I'm ready to be a dad?"

The songstress giggled and he placed his hand over hers reassuringly, "It'll be okay."

The chatter around them at the bar was loud and Lacus nervously glanced around; leaning forward to whisper.

"I haven't done that before."

Kira swallowed thickly, he had assumed she was still a virgin and his assumption was correct. Inside, he felt relieved because she and Athrun hadn't had sex while they were engaged. He liked the idea of Lacus being pure and no other man having been with her. He wanted to be the first and only for her.

"Have you?"

Kira was lost in thought and jumped at the songstress' words.

"Have I what?"

Lacus pursed her lips and Kira quickly realized what she was asking.

He replied hesitantly, "Yes."

Lacus nodded and Kira held his breath, feeling guilty. She saw his expression and smiled at him.

"Don't look at me that way. I'm not bothered by something that happened in the past."

Kira exhaled in relief and squeezed her hand, "I'm glad."

Lacus finished her drink with her other hand and placed the glass down onto the wooden bar surface. She turned to the coordinator next to her and slid off of her stool.

"Shall we go?"

Kira gulped and got off of his stool; following after the pink haired coordinator. He watched her hair sway from side to side as she walked in front of him and rubbed the palm of his hand anxiously over his mouth. A nervous pit seemed to be growing deep in his stomach and his heart hammered in his chest. Lacus was the most important person in the world to him and he wanted everything with her to go perfectly. He winced as the thought of hurting her because it was her first time came to his mind. When he had been with Flay, it had been the opposite. She had already had sex and it had been his first time. He was nervous but she had been very direct in telling him what he needed to do. The two approached the elevator and rode it to the fourth floor where they returned to their room.

Kira glanced over his shoulder and down at the other end of the hall where Cagalli and Athrun's room was. He wondered what they were up to, and his cheeks flushed as his mind returned to the situation at hand. Lacus opened the door and the violet eyed coordinator followed her with a nervous feeling in his belly. Kira felt like he couldn't catch his breath and his mouth was completely dry. Lacus hummed cheerfully and spun around to face him with bright eyes.

She blinked at Kira's stiff facial expression and tilted her head, "You look sick."

Kira cleared his throat, "I'm nervous."

"Aren't we just going to bed?"

Kira's eyebrows rose and his lips parted, "What?"

"I thought we were just going to go to sleep. I'm very tired," Lacus let out a yawn and smiled sweetly at him.

Kira nodded, relieved, "Yeah, that sounds good."

Lacus watched him carefully and then spoke, "Did you think that after that conversation we were heading up here for _that_?"

Kira scratched his head awkwardly, "Well…"

Lacus giggled, "It was an enlightening talk, but it will happen when it happens. There's no reason to force something like that."

"You're right."

Lacus smiled, "I'm going to get cleaned up, okay? It's been a long day."

Kira leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly, "Alright."

…..

Cagalli's eyelids drooped over her eyes as she struggled to remain awake while she watched television. Athrun had been in the bathroom for about half an hour and she didn't know if she was going to be able to refrain from falling asleep before he came out.

"He's a guy… what the heck is he doing in there?" Cagalli mumbled sleepily as she snuggled closer to one of the fluffy white pillows.

She started dozing off again and bolted upright when she heard the bathroom door open. The only light on in the room was the lamp next to the bed and Cagalli squinted as Athrun came into view. He had on a pair of pajama pants and a short sleeved shirt. His hair was wet and messy and there was a towel slung around his shoulders. Cagalli hugged the pillow closely to her chest and watched him carefully as he approached the foot of the bed where his bag was. He knelt down and sorted through his luggage; a frown growing on his face.

"What are you looking for?" Cagalli questioned, crawling to the edge of the bed and leaning over; looking down at him.

Athrun glanced up and his eyebrows shot up. Cagalli's shorter hair was dangling around her face and her amber eyes were large with a curious glint. Her lips were slightly parted and Athrun finally looked away; his heart starting to beat faster.

"It appears I forgot my hair brush."

"Really?"

"Yes…" Athrun muttered as he zipped his bag.

"You can use mine," Cagalli couldn't help but laugh, pointing at her own bag.

"Thanks," Athrun replied, reaching toward the zipper.

Cagalli's eyes suddenly widened as she realized many of her undergarments were on top in her bag. She let out a yelp and desperately reached for her suitcase; losing her balance. She toppled off the edge of the bed and fell on top of Athrun, who let out a loud grunt when she hit him. Cagalli immediately pulled herself off of him and was on her feet; backing away with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry!"

Athrun groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing his chest where her elbow had jabbed him. His hair was sticking in practically every direction and Cagalli bit her lip to keep from laughing at him. She moved forward and opened her bag; finding the brush quickly. Athrun stared up at her with a frown on his lips. He ran his fingers through his messy damp hair and stood up slowly.

"Can I…" Cagalli suddenly trailed off, looking from the brush in her hand to him.

Athrun furrowed his brow in confusion and then saw how she was hesitantly holding her hairbrush out toward him. She looked embarrassed and Athrun looked from her face to the television that was on.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked, tugging at the towel that was around his shoulders.

Cagalli bit her lip and looked from the wall to the floor with a frustrated look. A small smile graced Athrun's lips and he chuckled lightly at how she always seemed to wear her emotions on her sleeve.

"I want to brush your hair."

Athrun paused and he looked at her in amazement, "Are you serious?"

Cagalli clutched the brush in her hand tightly, her knuckles turning white, and nodded. Athrun couldn't help but laugh and she scowled at his response.

"If you want to, you can."

Cagalli immediately plopped down on to the bed and patted the spot in front of her. Athrun silently complied and sat down; crossing his legs. Cagalli sat up on her knees and her fingers stretched out to meet his soft midnight blue hair. A grin spread across her lips as she ran her fingers through his silky locks. She began to gently brush and Athrun closed his eyes; finding her movements soothing. He restrained the urge to groan in pleasure when she ran her fingernails over his scalp as she worked. The coordinator let out a shaky sigh and leaned into her touch.

"You like this, don't you?" Cagalli asked after many minutes went by.

"Is it that obvious?" he returned.

Cagalli smiled, "I like when people play with my hair, but I always fall asleep. It's relaxing."

More minutes passed until Cagalli finally stopped, "All done."

Athrun immediately felt disappointed that she stopped. He could let her touch his hair every hour of the day. It was soothing and very calming. He glanced over his shoulder at her and she inhaled at the sight of his eyes. Cagalli couldn't look away and felt a shiver run down her spine. His eyes were so deep, and she felt like she could get lost in the ocean of emerald that was in front of her. The natural swallowed uneasily and played with the hairbrush in her hands nervously.

"Well… I think it's time for me to take a shower now," she spoke quickly, trying to slide off the side of the bed.

Athrun grabbed her wrists, his eyes never leaving her face. He watched her intently and reached out with his other hand; brushing a stray strand of blonde hair from her face.

"I like when you do that you know…" Athrun mumbled.

"Touch your hair?" Cagalli asked, raising her eyebrows.

He nodded and Cagalli smiled, "You already know I like your hair. It smells nice since you just washed it too."

Athrun moved his hand and steadily rubbed circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. He licked his lips and suddenly leaned forward; capturing the woman in front of him swiftly. He was gentle yet passionate and Cagalli gasped into his mouth. His tongue traced the roof of her mouth and Cagalli reached out, grabbing his shirt tightly. She pulled him closer and traced his bottom lip. The pair pulled away from each other and panted for a few moments.

"That was intense," Cagalli stated, her lips red.

Athrun chuckled, "Go take your shower before something else happens."

Cagalli sarcastically saluted him, "Right away sir."

About half an hour later, Cagalli emerged from the bathroom feeling fresh and clean. She smiled and hummed quietly to herself as she adjusted her pajama top; walking toward the bed. The natural looked to the window where it was dark outside, and then looked back at the bed where Athrun had fallen asleep. The television was still on and the light from the moving pictures flashed across his sleeping face. Cagalli smiled and picked the remote off of the night stand where she left it. She turned the television off and carefully sat down on the bed; watching Athrun's face steadily to see if he would wake up. The coordinator didn't move and Cagalli grinned as she reached out and playfully ran her fingers through loose strands of midnight blue hair. Once she had her fill, she reached out and gently rocked his shoulder; leaning close to his face.

"Athrun, wake up."

It took a few shakes before he knitted his brow and let out a groan; his eyes opening with a dazed look.

"Cagalli?" he mumbled, and she smiled back at him.

"You fell asleep while I was in the shower," she spoke with twinkling amber eyes.

Athrun realized how close their faces were and he started to sit up. He inhaled sharply as their noses brushed and Cagalli pulled back with red cheeks. The coordinator ran his fingers through his dark hair with an awkward frown on his face and glanced at the blonde girl who was on the bed next to him.

"Are you ready to go to bed?" he asked her softly.

Cagalli nodded, "I think so."

He smiled and slid off the bed so he could pull the covers down. Cagalli did the same and they both laid down under the crisp white sheets. Athrun reached out and shut the lamp off that was next to the bed which plunged the room into darkness. Cagalli could hear him moving under the sheets next to her and she remained still with her eyes wide open. The natural bit her lip as she carefully turned herself so she was facing him. She couldn't see anything but her nose immediately picked up on the scent of Athrun's body wash. Cagalli inhaled the fresh masculine scent and found herself reaching out under the sheets for him. Her hand met his back and her eyebrows shot up as she realized he was turned away from her. Athrun tensed under her touch and Cagalli froze, not sure what to do.

Cagalli swallowed dryly and flopped back onto her other side so their backs were facing each other. She released a dejected sigh and closed her eyes. The princess felt the bed move as Athrun shifted once more and she tried to ignore it so she could doze off. A few moments passed before Cagalli's eyes popped wide open as she felt something slide over her hip. She tensed underneath the sheets and realized that the bed was moving under her once again.

"Athrun?" she called out, trying to turn over to face him.

"Don't move, you're fine," he said as he wrapped his arm firmly around her waist.

Cagalli gulped and held her breath. He tugged her close to him and she could feel warmth radiating off of him. Athrun's hand moved and Cagalli waited with wide eyes as he took a section of her damp hair; rubbing it between his fingers steadily. The blonde inhaled sharply, goose bumps popping up on her skin as he kissed her neck. Her heart started hammering in her chest and she felt a strange warmth pooling in her belly that she had never felt before. Cagalli squirmed, wishing the odd feeling would stop, and Athrun pulled back.

"Was that too much?"

"No," Cagalli immediately answered, "I'm just not used to some of these feelings."

"What do you mean?" Athrun asked curiously.

Cagalli grabbed his wrist and pulled it over her side; placing the palm of his hand on her lower belly. She held it there and blushed.

"I feel warm and like there are butterflies right here. It's almost ticklish feeling," she told him honestly.

Athrun rubbed his thumb back and forth over her belly; smiling into her neck. Cagalli swallowed, not sure why he seemed to be pleased about that. She snuggled deeper into her pillow and scooted back so she was pressed up against Athrun's chest. His warmth instantly made her sleepy and she dozed off minutes after closing her eyes with a content expression.

**A/N: Wow… there. Again, I apologize for letting this sit around for two weeks before putting it up. Reviews are nice, flames are not! Thanks!**


	10. White Sand and Waves

**A/N: I apologize for taking so long to get this up. It's not as long as the last chapter, but I think it's okay. I like to keep chapters shorter in my other stories, so trying to do long chapters is kind of tedious for me so the updates are slower. Thanks for reading and being patient with me!**

**ellry: thank you for another review! Glad you liked the longer chapter. I'll try to keep it up!**

**Saber42: Thanks for your reviews! Nope, you shouldn't be worried, this chapter has been in progress for several weeks now. I have in no way abandoned this story. :)**

***Song for this chapter: Push Up (Extended Mix) by Throttle vs Freestylers**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny!**

**A reminder that this story is rated 'M', so if you don't want to read anything sexual then I would just stop now. :)**

**Chapter 10: White Sand and Waves**

"How did you two sleep last night?" Lacus questioned Athrun and Cagalli.

The four were seated at a table in the dining room of the hotel. There were large glass windows so they were able to look outside where the sun had just risen over the ocean water. There were many groups sitting at tables in the room which was filled with chatter and the sound of clinking silverware.

"Great!" Cagalli smiled at her and Athrun nodded silently in agreement.

Kira watched his childhood friend suspiciously and could tell there was something that was bothering him. He glanced at Lacus who had continued her conversation with Cagalli and then motioned at Athrun.

"Let's go grab a couple more pancakes," Kira said.

Athrun looked down at his plate where there were already three. He blinked and gave Kira a bizarre look.

"I have plenty."

"_Athrun_," Kira narrowed his eyes, "Let's go grab a couple _more_."

Athrun's lips formed a silent 'O' and he stood up from his seat. Cagalli turned to look at him and he gave her a smile as he followed after her brother.

"Kira?" the blue haired coordinator asked once they were back up at the breakfast bar.

"What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Athrun asked, completely surprised.

"You look like something is bothering you. Did something happen with my sister last night?"

Athrun shook his head, "No."

"You two haven't…" Kira trailed off.

"No!" Athrun exclaimed, earning a few scowls from other hotel guests. He lowered his voice and then spoke, "Why would you ask me something like that? She's your _sister_!"

"But you're my best friend."

"Weren't you the one telling me your sister came before your best friend in the car on the way here?" Athrun growled.

Kira laughed nervously, "Oh yeah… I did say that, didn't I?"

Athrun rolled his eyes, "No, I haven't slept with her."

"Haven't you two been sleeping in the same bed since she came back?" Kira questioned.

"Well, yeah," Athrun shrugged, "That doesn't mean anything."

Kira huffed, "You're an idiot Athrun."

"I'm the idiot?!"

"Cagalli wouldn't do that with just anyone."

Athrun crossed his arms, "She says she can't sleep unless she is with someone."

Kira laughed sarcastically, "_Right_."

"What's with that remark?"

"She's _Cagalli_. She's strong and independent and doesn't rely on others for anything if she can do it herself. She told you she couldn't sleep by herself anymore because she needed an excuse to sleep with _you_ because she likes _you_," Kira explained.

"I know she likes me and she knows I like her, so what's your point?" Athrun asked impatiently.

"My point is that she's comfortable with you, so if you feel ready, you should try to take things to the next level."

"Are you telling me to have sex with your sister?" Athrun asked with a serious face.

"It doesn't have to be sex! Damn Athrun, think about it! You two have established you like each other and are 'dating' now, but what else have you done? Probably nothing, which is why you should try and spice things up."

"I'm not going to push her into something she doesn't want to do."

Kira nodded, "I know that, but you and I both know how oblivious she is to things like that. If you don't make the first move, it's likely no move will ever be made if you wait on her."

Athrun nodded, "That's probably true."

Kira glanced over at the table where Lacus and Cagalli were and turned back to Athrun, "We'd better get back over there."

"Thanks for that," Athrun said.

Kira nodded, "Anything for a friend… but as a brother, you touch her, and I'll beat you to a pulp."

Athrun blinked bizarrely and Kira laughed, "I'm kidding, but it's almost like I have to split myself into two different people when it comes to you and Cagalli. I'm your best friend, and she's my sister, so with you two dating, the lines are kind of blurred."

Athrun smiled, "Let's get back over there."

…

Lacus watched as Athrun followed Kira back up to the breakfast bar. She smiled knowingly and turned her attention to Cagalli. The blonde appeared cheerful and gave her a grin when they made eye contact.

"Was there still something you wanted to talk with me about?" Lacus asked her.

Cagalli paused and stared down at her half eaten blueberry bagel. She poked at it and then glanced at Lacus who was watching her with a patient smile.

"I don't want it to get boring between Athrun and I," Cagalli stated.

"Boring?" Lacus questioned, putting her finger to her chin.

"Don't you ever feel bored with Kira? Like you two do the same thing over and over again?" Cagalli asked her.

Lacus shrugged, "We do many things multiple times. I've never really thought of it that way."

"This is how I'm thinking," Cagalli leaned closer, "If we do the same things repeatedly, one of us is bound to get bored and that will cause problems. The relationship will grow stagnant and neither of us will be happy."

"Cagalli… I think you're putting way too much thought into something that hasn't happened yet. Does Athrun seem unhappy to you? He doesn't to me because, on the contrary, I think he acts quite upbeat. I've known Athrun for several years and he's always been quiet and sometimes melancholy. I think that the day he met you, you started to change his life," Lacus explained.

Cagalli stared down at her lap in embarrassment, "But ever since we started dating I'm nervous when I'm with him. It makes me angry because I feel like I can't be myself around him anymore."

Lacus shook her head, "Athrun would be unhappy to hear you say that. He wants nothing more than for you to enjoy being around him."

Cagalli huffed, "I know, I'm still trying to find my way in this whole relationship thing."

"You've said you're dating now. Weren't you two extremely close before any of this happened?"

Cagalli paused and thought back to all of the hours she spent alone with her body guard at her estate. He was by her when she worked, went to meetings, ate meals, was out in the city, and sometimes they'd fall asleep together. She glanced at the pink haired songstress and nodded wordlessly.

"I thought so. Now that there is a label on your relationship that doesn't mean there is a reason to change the way you act. Nothing has changed between you two."

Cagalli nodded, "I guess that's true. I think we're also trying to adjust to one another after his long absence and my virtual kidnapping by Yuna."

"That's understandable," Lacus agreed.

"So you really _never_ get bored with Kira?" Cagalli grinned as she turned the conversation back to the songstress.

"Not at all. It doesn't matter to me what we do, as long as we are spending time with one another. Kira is a wonderful young man and I'm delighted that I got to meet him," Lacus sparkled as she spoke.

Cagalli blinked and couldn't help but huff with a knowing smile. Lacus was the definition of perfection. She was beautiful, feminine, talented, and intelligent. Cagalli felt like she couldn't hold a candle to the songstress. How had Athrun given Lacus up for her?

"They're taking a terribly long time up there," Lacus stated as she glanced at the breakfast bar where the two boys were talking.

Cagalli glared at them and caught Kira's eye. Her brother grinned sheepishly at her and the pair of mobile suit pilots returned to the table. Athrun sat down next to Cagalli and turned his head to look at the Orb representative, but she was staring out the window at the beach.

"Should we spend our day there?" he asked her quietly as Lacus talked to Kira with a bright smile.

Cagalli pulled her attention from the white sand and shrugged, "Whatever you want to do."

Athrun shook his head, "You're incredibly indecisive."

"Would you rather me boss you around?"

"It would make things easier sometimes, but no."

Cagalli rolled her eyes, "As long as we spend time with each other I really don't care what we do."

Athrun paused and stared at the girl next to him with unblinking emerald eyes. He wondered if she truly realized the impact of what she had just said. The corner of his mouth twitched and he couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips. Cagalli was completely oblivious and kept eating her breakfast.

Athrun glanced up at Kira who grinned back at him, "The beach then?"

"Eavesdropper," Athrun scoffed.

"We're at the same table you dork," Cagalli slapped his thigh.

Kira laughed, "Yeah, a day at the beach sounds perfect."

…..

"I can't do this," Cagalli mumbled with wide amber eyes.

She was in the bathroom of the hotel room and was staring at herself in the mirror with a horrified expression.

"Cagalli?"

The princess swung around and stared at the bathroom door with big eyes, "Yeah?"

"Are you okay in there? It's been almost ten minutes…"

"I'm fine!" she shot back, "Just hold on!"

Cagalli grabbed one of the large bath towels and wrapped it around her shoulders. She grasped it firmly in front of her chest so she was completely covered except for her legs.

"I still can't believe I let Lacus talk me into buying this stupid swimsuit!" Cagalli muttered sharply as she grabbed the door handle.

She stepped out into the hotel room where Athrun was waiting with his navy swim trunks and a short sleeved shirt on. He looked up at her and raised an eyebrow at her appearance.

"What's with the towel?" he asked suspiciously.

Cagalli's cheeks turned scarlet. She was embarrassed to be wearing such a skimpy swimsuit. Athrun sighed and stood up; folding his arms over his chest.

"Take it off," he told her in neutral voice.

"No!" Cagalli stepped back, clutching the towel tightly.

"You can't go out there with a bath towel wrapped around you," Athrun couldn't help but laugh after he said it, "You look ridiculous."

"But…"

"What are you wearing underneath that has you so rattled?"

Cagalli bit her lip and she stared at the floor. She slowly released her iron grip on the towel and the front fell open. Athrun's lips parted and he blinked in shock.

"Maybe the towel is a good idea."

Cagalli's eyes instantly shot up and she pursed her lips, "What is that supposed to mean?!" she cried out, offended.

Athrun chuckled and Cagalli growled at him, "Do you think I look stupid? Just say it, better stay covered up, right?"

Athrun's jaw dropped, "That's not it at all!"

He reached out for her and she stepped back. Athrun rolled his eyes and used his superior reflexes to trap her against his chest. She struggled against him and the towel fell off of her shoulders. She looked up at him with flushed cheeks and he kissed her on the forehead.

"It was a joke. I was trying to be humorous, but it apparently didn't work."

"A joke?"

Athrun shrugged, "I was saying maybe the towel is a good idea, because I don't want anyone else to see you in that."

Cagalli's lips parted and she found she was unable to speak. Athrun pulled her tightly to his chest and pressed his lips firmly to her neck and the natural's spine straightened at the sensation.

"I never wanted this swimsuit, Lacus made me buy it," Cagalli told him when she stepped back.

Athrun admired her figure before picking the towel up off of the ground and tossing it at her. She caught it and furrowed her brow at him.

"Put some shorts on at least," he stated.

"Yes, _Commander Zala_," Cagalli rolled her eyes, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Athrun smiled at her and pulled out his cell phone, sending Kira a text that they would be downstairs soon.

…..

It was sunny and hot outside when the group made their way onto the sandy beach. The water was clear and blue with white foam rolling on the waves as they hit the shore. Cagalli couldn't help the grin that spread across her lips and she glanced at her comrades who wore similar expressions.

"Better find an umbrella for us to sit under," Kira said knowingly.

"There's one!" Cagalli pointed and rushed toward it.

"Perfect, now my best friend won't get burnt to a crisp," Kira grinned.

Athrun's jaw dropped and he shoved Kira; causing the brown haired boy to stagger in the sand. He laughed and Lacus shook her head with a 'boys will be boys' look on her face. Cagalli sat down under the umbrella and pointed at the bag Athrun was carrying.

"You have sunscreen, don't you?"

Athrun nodded, "Do you want to put some on now?"

She smiled at him, "Actually, I was going to remind you to put it on with that complexion of yours."

Athrun groaned and Kira laughed at him, "You've always lived in the PLANTs where everything is artificial. You don't have weather there and the light isn't filled with harmful rays like it is here on Earth. You're at risk with that pale skin."

"At risk for what?"

"People can get skin cancer from the sun," Cagalli stated as she took the bag from him and opened it.

Athrun wrinkled his nose, "I know that."

"Then you know that a person with fair skin needs to be extra cautious. Put this on," Cagalli said, handing him the bottle of sunscreen.

Athrun huffed and flopped down in the sand next to the blonde with a grunt. He snatched the bottle and started rubbing the lotion on his arms with a scowl. Kira laughed once again and pulled Lacus after him toward the water.

"Don't you need to put this on too?" Athrun drawled.

"Nope!" Kira called over his shoulder, "We did it before we left our room."

Cagalli watched the couple walk further away until they were at the water. She turned back to the coordinator next to her and smiled at his pouting face. His eyes met hers and he scowled.

"What's that face for?"

"You're treating me like a child," Athrun stated.

"I'm concerned about your well-being, what's wrong with that?" Cagalli asked.

Athrun rolled his eyes, "I'm a coordinator, I'm disease free and have much better health than you do. If anyone should be concerned, it should be me. You're fragile and prone to sickness."

Cagalli's face fell and Athrun handed her the bottle of sunscreen, "Don't make that face. I'm stating facts and you know it."

Cagalli sighed, he was right. She watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the sand behind them. The umbrella was keeping them well shaded from the sun and the coordinator was thankful for that. He reached up and was about to fix his messy hair when Cagalli's hand beat him to it. She ran her fingers through his silky midnight blue hair. She grinned and sighed in relaxation at the feeling of it.

"You're obsession with my hair is beyond me," Athrun chuckled, her touch soothing him.

His body relaxed and he slouched under her touch; feeling at ease. She continued to run her fingers through his hair and occasionally scraped his scalp with her fingernails.

"It's so soft," Cagalli said quietly with a dreamy look in her amber eyes, "I wish I had pretty hair like yours."

Athrun paused, "Again with the 'pretty' description?"

Cagalli twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, "Take the compliment."

"Fine."

Cagalli pulled away and grabbed the sunscreen bottle. She squeezed the lotion into her palm and moved her pointer finger in a circular motion.

"Turn around."

Athrun blinked and complied as he suddenly felt her hands on his back. She rubbed the lotion over his shoulder blades and made her way down his back. He sighed and leaned into her touch, feeling hypnotized by the rhythm of her hands.

"There," she said, scooting away from him.

He let out a small grunt at the loss of her touch and turned around to face her with a longing expression. Cagalli held the bottle out to him innocently and he took it hesitantly.

"Will you get mine too?"

Athrun nodded silently and squeezed the bottle. He watched Cagalli shift her body so her back was to him, and she reached up in an attempt to move her hair out of the way towards the base of her neck. The coordinator began rubbing the sunscreen slowly over her back. He marveled at her soft skin was and smiled as he heard Cagalli humming cheerfully as he worked. He lifted the strap of her bikini and got the skin underneath; making sure no area was left untouched.

"Thanks," Cagalli told him when he finished.

The two finished putting the lotion on the rest of their exposed skin and watched Kira and Lacus who were waist high in the ocean water. Cagalli gave Athrun a playful grin and stood up quickly. The coordinator stared up at the natural and was thankful he had asked her to put shorts on. He swallowed dryly as she stared down at him and reached for the bag where he had packed a bottle of water.

"You're such a dork Athrun. Did you pack our room in there too?" Cagalli laughed at him.

Athrun ignored her and tossed the water back into the bag after getting a drink. He stood up and grabbed Cagalli by the wrist; dragging her toward the water.

"Athrun!" she cried, digging her heels into the sand; trying to stop him.

"Oh no, remember when I told you I was going to get you back for sticking your tongue out at me in the car? It's time."

Cagalli gulped as Athrun turned suddenly and scooped the blonde girl up into his arms. Cagalli yelped as he looped an arm under her knees and carried her bridal style toward the water. Kira and Lacus turned with wide eyes just in time to watch Athrun dash into the water, releasing his girlfriend into the air. Cagalli gasped and hit the water with a scream. Kira laughed and Lacus smiled knowingly at them. The natural's head broke the surface of the water and she stood up with fire burning in her amber orbs.

"Oh Athrun, it's totally on," Cagalli growled at him with water running down her nose.

…..

A couple hours later Cagalli found herself swimming in the ocean water with her brother while Athrun and Lacus sat under the umbrella to escape the sun's rays. Cagalli grinned as she kicked through the water and fought through waves as they came ashore. She looked over at Kira who had drifted further out from the shore and was bobbing up and down with the waves as they rolled in. He waved his hand at her and Cagalli returned his gesture with a grin. Kira began swimming toward her and within a few minutes he was next to her.

"Why didn't you come out there with me?" he asked her.

Cagalli scowled, "The further you go out, the stronger the waves get. They'll pull you out to sea!"

Kira rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah."

"I'm not a coordinator," Cagalli poked him, "I don't have superhuman abilities like _you_," she said sarcastically.

Kira shrugged and glanced at the beach where he could make out the umbrella the Athrun and Lacus were under.

"I see that they're both resting for a bit."

Cagalli nodded, "I told him he needed to get out of the sun for a while."

"They're both pretty fair skinned, aren't they?" Kira laughed.

Cagalli looked down at her arms, "I'm not fair skinned, but I'm not tan like you are."

Kira blinked at her, "Are you having a good time?"

"Of course! After what I've been through the past few months I feel like this is much needed."

Kira nodded, "I agree, I think we all need it, but especially you and Athrun."

Cagalli's eyes dropped and she flicked her fingers through the ocean water, "I had it rough for a few months, but Athrun has had it rough his entire life."

Kira leaned down so that he was eye level with his sister, "Don't feel sorry for him. He wouldn't like that. He's got you now, and that's all that matters. You make him happy."

Cagalli gave him a meek smile, "Right."

"Have you two done anything fun yet?" Kira gave her a knowing look.

Cagalli blushed, "You're my brother! Why would you ask about _that_?!"

Kira's eyebrows shot up, "I didn't mean _that_! I was talking about general stuff."

Cagalli rolled her eyes, "_Sure_. You were being nosey is what you were doing."

"Maybe a little," Kira laughed nervously, "As Athrun's best friend I felt the need to pry."

"What about your positon as my _brother_?" Cagalli questioned with raised eyebrows.

"We're not focusing on that right now."

"Of course we're not. You better not be trying to get me to talk about my feelings so you can go tell him what I said," Cagalli warned.

Kira shrugged, "Why would I do that? You two already know how you feel about each other. That would be pointless."

"Did you take Lacus to the bar last night?" Cagalli changed the subject as a large waved caused them to rise up and down with its motion.

Kira nodded, "Yeah, we went there and had a few drinks."

"I was wondering about that. You didn't have too much, did you?" she asked suggestively.

"No," Kira shook his head, "We talked about a few things."

"It must be different with her compared to that other girl you were seeing," Cagalli noted.

"Flay?"

Cagalli nodded, "You slept with her right off the bat, didn't you?"

Kira blushed and his violet eyes went down to the water in front of him, "We had an odd relationship."

"But it still happened."

"Yeah…" Kira trailed off, "But she kind of initiated it."

Cagalli rolled her eyes again, "It doesn't matter, you could have said no."

"I was going through a tough time," Kira muttered.

"You haven't slept with Lacus though, have you?"

Kira shook his head, "No, we haven't yet, but that was one of the things we talked about. She was opposed to having sex because she's not ready to start a family. I told her that if we're careful we don't have to worry about that because I'm not ready to start one either."

"Kira!" Cagalli exclaimed, "You were pushing her!"

"No I wasn't!" Kira blinked, "At least I don't think I was."

"Just don't do it until she's ready," Cagalli told him.

"I know that!" Kira snapped back, "What about you and Athrun? I know you two haven't done anything. Have you two talked about that at all?"

Cagalli's cheeks turned scarlet, "No!" she sputtered.

"Maybe you should," Kira stated, "Athrun is a patient guy, he probably won't try anything on you. That's just how he is because he won't want to do anything to upset you."

Cagalli gulped, "That's an awkward conversation. We've only been dating a couple days."

Kira splashed her and the blonde let out a yelp as he shook his head, "Don't give me that, you two have been together long before that."

"I guess you're right," Cagalli wiped the water dripping from her nose, "We've been through a lot."

"The fact you two are dating is just a label, you've been through a ton together so think of it that way. I'm sure he wants to be as close to you as possible, but he's afraid he will do something to lose you like he almost did when you were engaged to that purpled haired weirdo," Kira said with a look of disgust.

"As close to me as possible? What are you getting at?" Cagalli asked.

"The physical part of a relationship isn't only about feeling good, it's about love too. That's why I'm waiting with Lacus and being patient. It's important to me because I love her. When I was with Flay I cared about her, but when we had sex it was purely physical for the pleasure of it."

"I feel like I'm getting the birds and bees talk from you," Cagalli stated.

Kira shrugged, "However you want to take it. You're pretty oblivious and I wanted you to be aware how much that could torture Athrun. It's painful when the person you love doesn't reciprocate."

"But… I feel the same way about him," Cagalli muttered.

"I know, but he probably can't tell that because you act so shy around him now. He likely wonders if he's done something to make you that way. That's how Athrun is, he always thinks of the worst case scenario."

"That's an understatement," Cagalli couldn't help but laugh.

"He's a good guy though."

Cagalli blinked at her brother, "So basically you're telling me I should sleep with him to show him my feelings?"

Kira shook his head, "No! That's not it at all, I was just giving you an example. I'm saying you should try to initiate things with him. He doesn't want to do anything to make you uncomfortable or scare you off, so if you start it, he won't feel like he's pressuring you."

"Got it," Cagalli nodded.

Kira turned his head to see that Athrun and Lacus were swimming toward them. He gave Cagalli a wink and then grinned at the songstress who he wrapped his arms around once she reached him. Cagalli turned to Athrun who watched her with careful emerald eyes. She couldn't help it as her heart skipped in her chest under his gaze.

"Did you take a nap?" Cagalli questioned as he snaked his arm around her waist under the water.

He pulled her close to his side and brushed a strand of wet blonde hair from her face, "Actually I did."

"You're like an old man," she laughed.

"Not old enough to go to the bar!" Kira called out with a grin.

Athrun rolled his eyes and Cagalli leaned forward defensively, "I'll buy him something if he wants it!"

"Still underage," Kira teased.

"Still has better hair compared to you!" Cagalli spat back.

"It's girly."

"It's pretty!"

Athrun sighed and squeezed Cagalli's hip, "Alright, alright, that's enough."

Cagalli reached up and touched the damp ends of his dark blue hair with a sparkle in her eye, "The saltwater made it gritty. It's usually so soft and smooth."

Athrun smiled at her in amusement. He couldn't fathom her fascination with his hair, but he welcomed the attention it gave him. He loved when she touched his hair and he found the action to be soothing.

"I'm thirsty," Cagalli suddenly stated.

Lacus nodded, "I agree, I think it's about time we had lunch too."

…

After a day spent at the beach the four vacationers decided to sit down at a table in the bar. The sun had gone down and they had changed upon returning to their rooms. Their table was against the wall and the bar across the room was glowing with people surrounding it.

"I'll get us something," Kira whispered to Lacus with a quick kiss to the cheek.

Cagalli swallowed and turned to Athrun who wore a neutral expression. She reached out and grabbed his hand that was resting on his thigh. His eyes met hers and she leaned over to him with questioning eyes.

"Do you want me to get you something?"

Athrun huffed, "No, I can't."

Cagalli rolled her eyes, "Who is going to know? This place is packed, no one is going to come check you."

Athrun looked up at Lacus who was watching him carefully and he shook his head, "No, it's fine."

Cagalli huffed and stood up abruptly. Athrun looked at her in surprise as she stomped off toward the bar. Lacus giggled at her quick temper and blinked at Athrun who wore a stunned expression.

"You're being so tense. Does Kira's teasing about your age really bother you that much?" Lacus asked.

Athrun shook his head, "No, but I'm not legally allowed to have alcohol yet, so I'm not going to drink it."

A few minutes passed and Lacus turned to see Kira approaching her with two drinks in hand. He gave her one and sat down in his chair with a satisfied smile. He sipped on his glass and leaned back in his chair.

"Here."

Athrun jumped as a glass was slammed down in front of him. He stared at it for a few moments before turning to Cagalli who threw herself down in her seat with a grunt.

"Drink it," she ordered.

Athrun blinked, "Are you forcing me to-"

"I said _drink it_. I bought it for you," she told him.

Athrun quickly grabbed the glass and took a gulp, his eyebrows shooting up. He placed the glass back down and stared at it. There was a slice of lemon floating in it and the coordinator licked his lips at the tartness.

"What is it?" Kira asked, leaning forward curiously.

"It's a mixture of several whiskeys and some moonshine, it's strong stuff," Cagalli shrugged nonchalantly.

"Are you trying to make him black out?" Kira laughed.

"He was a top soldier in the military, if he can't handle a drink from the bar he deserves to pass out," Cagalli laughed, giving Athrun a nudge in the ribs.

The blonde picked up her own beverage and took a few gulps. She smiled in satisfaction and Athrun watched her with amusement from the corner of his eye.

…

Two hours had passed and Cagalli laughed heartily at her brother who had tripped trying to stand up from his chair. Kira cursed as he pulled himself up and started walking toward the bar again.

"Don't you think he's had enough?" Athrun whispered to Cagalli.

"I think we all have," Cagalli sputtered, staring at all of the empty glasses on the table.

Athrun was surprised at how well he was handling his liquor considering that he had never had any before. Cagalli's cheeks were flushed and she laughed continuously at everyone sitting at the table. Lacus also had red cheeks, but was quickly trying to drink the glass of water in front of her in an effort to dull the effects of the alcohol. Cagalli grinned at the coordinator next to her and was bolstered by liquid courage. She reached under the table with a devilish grin and tried to grab at his belt. Athrun let out a surprised shout and stood up; banging his knees on the underside of the table. He fell back down into the chair ungracefully with a grunt and Cagalli reached for her drink.

"That's your last one," Athrun pointed at it.

Cagalli gasped with hazy eyes, "You're cutting me off?!"

"Yes," Athrun stated, feeling a bit light headed.

"You're no fun!" Cagalli exclaimed, gulping the last bit of her drink down.

Kira returned with a sloppy grin on his face and another drink. Athrun shook his head and wrapped his arm around his girlfriend.

"This is my last one," Kira said to Lacus.

"Whatever you want," Lacus shrugged, "When you're sick tomorrow you'll know why."

"I'm having a good time," Kira stated, "That hasn't happened for a long time, we all deserve it."

"I completely agree," Athrun said, his skin practically tingling as he felt Cagalli's blonde hair brush his arm where it was resting across her shoulders.

Cagalli glanced up at the coordinator next to her, "It's getting late."

"Do you want to go back to the room?" he asked her.

Cagalli nodded silently and her brother watched her with narrowed eyes from across the table. Kira glanced at Lacus at the songstress gave him a big smile that sent him into a fit of laughter.

"We should go to a place we can dance at some point with music," Cagalli spoke as she stood up from her chair.

She wobbled and Athrun wrapped his arm around her waist firmly to steady her. She patted his hand in thanks and gave Lacus and Kira a crooked smile.

"If you want to do that, we should visit a club," Lacus said.

"A club!" Cagalli exclaimed, and Athrun blinked at her outburst.

"Sounds good to me," Kira nodded and shooed them with a flick of his wrist, "Get going you two, we will see you tomorrow."

Athrun guided the blonde girl in front of him carefully as she steered through the crowd in the bar room. She held one of his hands and halted when she found herself facing the elevator and stairs. Athrun looked from one to the other and shook his head.

"We're not going up the stairs, you'll end up flat on your face," he told her as he reached out and pressed the button for the elevator.

Cagalli giggled at his statement and squeezed his hand tightly; dragging him into the elevator when the door opened. The doors shut behind them and Cagalli stared at Athrun with foggy doe eyes. He inhaled deeply, his head still feeling light from the alcohol. The elevator started to move up and Cagalli reached up; grabbing a strand of his midnight blue hair between her fingers. She rolled it back and forth with a childish smile as the elevator finally halted on their floor and opened. The natural girl turned quickly to walk out the door and stumbled; jerking Athrun with her who let out a grunt. He managed to pull her back up before they both fell, and he shook his head in amazement with a chuckle. He had never seen Cagalli like this, but he was finding it highly entertaining.

"Sorry," she said as she started off down the hall, tugging Athrun along with her.

"I've got the key", he said as he reached into his pocket and swiped it in the door.

Athrun opened the door and released Cagalli as she took uncoordinated steps inside. He watched her as she threw herself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling; her chest heaving.

"I'm going to get in the shower, you relax there, okay?" Athrun told her, wanting to wash up after spending the day in the salty ocean water.

"Yeah, yeah," Cagalli hummed as she reached for the remote above her head and turned the television on.

Athrun chuckled and entered the bathroom, taking his shirt off with a smile on his lips. He started the water and turned up the temperature. Steam floated through the bathroom and the coordinator hopped into the shower and began scrubbing his head.

Cagalli sat up on the bed and squinted at the television. The room appeared to be spinning and she laughed at herself; falling backwards onto the bed in a fit of giggles. She rolled over onto her stomach and stared at the television with wide eyes. She could hear the water running in the bathroom where Athrun was in the shower. Cagalli rested her chin on her hands and her eyes closed slowly as she suddenly felt tired. She dozed off after a few moments and didn't wake up until she felt someone shaking her shoulder. The blonde blinked up at the emerald eyed coordinator staring down at her and she gave him a smile.

"You fell asleep?" he asked her with an amused twinkle in his eye.

Cagalli huffed, "Only for a few minutes."

Athrun walked by her and sat down on the bed behind her. He propped pillows against the headboard and leaned back against them with a relaxed sigh. Cagalli sat up and turned to see that Athrun was clad in pajama pants but was not wearing a shirt. She stared at him and he raised his eyebrows suspiciously.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Cagalli could feel her cloudy mind clearing as the alcohol wore off and she crawled toward the dark haired boy with a cautious expression. She sat down next to him with her legs folded under her. Cagalli faced Athrun and her eyes went from his face to the lose fitting red pants he was wearing.

"Cagalli?"

The natural swallowed nervously. She needed to switch things up and try something out of her comfort zone. Athrun was incredibly patient and had not pushed her to do anything that caused her anxiety or discomfort. She wanted to do something he would enjoy and something that would show how she felt about him.

"Can I try something?" she asked him in a quiet voice.

Athrun blinked at her and started to sit up the rest of the way. Cagalli reached out and put a hand on his chest, shaking her head. Athrun slowly leaned back against the pillows and stared at the girl in front of him with a curious expression.

"Can I?" Cagalli repeated her question.

Athrun slightly nodded and his eyebrows shot up as he saw her reach forward with trembling hands. Cagalli's heart was thudding in her chest and her mouth was dry. She traced the waistband of his sleep pants with unblinking amber eyes and Athrun watched her without breathing. He was frozen and didn't dare to move an inch out of fear she would stop. Cagalli timidly glanced up at Athrun, who was watching her with wide green eyes. She returned her attention to his waistband and carefully pulled it. Cagalli paused and took a deep breath before continuing. Athrun was completely in shock as to what Cagalli was doing and his breath hitched in his throat as the girl in front of him tugged on his pants; frowning.

"Could you lift yourself up for a second?" she asked him with doe eyes.

Athrun had no words and did as he was asked, lifting his hips up. Cagalli tugged his pants again and this time was able to drag them down his legs without difficulty. She stopped and wordlessly stared at his member that was surrounded by midnight blue hair; her eyes holding a slight twinkle of curiosity. The coordinator swallowed noisily and couldn't help but shift his body restlessly. Cagalli paused and her eyes went to his with a questioning gaze.

"I'm fine," he stated quickly to her unasked question.

Cagalli pulled her eyes from his and continued what she was doing. She reached out and traced her finger lightly over one of his thighs and moved closer to his groin with every touch, much to Athrun's astonishment. Was this the real Cagalli? He was enraptured by what she was doing and couldn't look away. His breathing was growing quick and shallow in anticipation. He gently reached out and grasped her wrist as she started to pull away.

"Are you alright?" he questioned in an amused tone.

Cagalli blinked rapidly and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She met his eyes and then looked away shyly, not sure how she wanted to continue.

"There's no reason to be shy about it now," Athrun stated quietly.

His pants were pulled down and he was on complete display. She was the one who started it, so he didn't see why there was a reason to get skittish after she had gone this far.

"I know that!" Cagalli sputtered loudly with a defensive glare.

"You seemed so determined earlier…" he trailed off, trying to egg her on.

Cagalli's amber eyes flashed with a hint of anger and she shoved him against the pillows that were behind him with a force that caused the headboard to bang the wall. Athrun's eyes widened and his lips twisted into a grin.

"I like when you're-" he started before Cagalli cut him off.

"Don't!" she exclaimed.

Athrun shrugged and Cagalli threw one leg over his and she found herself straddling him. She stared down at him with piercing amber orbs and he glared back up at her with sharp emerald. Cagalli gulped as she looked down between her legs where Athrun's member was. The natural blinked at it and tilted her head slightly… it looked different than it had a few moments ago. Athrun let out a frustrated sigh as Cagalli sat frozen. He was a patient guy, but this was torture. The woman he loved, and had yet to do anything serious with, was currently straddling him and biting her lip. He was about to lose it.

"You're quite the tease," he said in a hushed voice.

Cagalli's eyes shot up, "What do you mean?"

Athrun leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair, "There's no rule stating 'look but don't touch'."

Cagalli gulped. She knew what she had intended to do from the start, but thinking and doing were two completely different things. Seeing Athrun like this put her mind into overdrive. She didn't know what to do or think. Athrun stared at her carefully and saw her body tremble. He steadily reached out and grasped her wrist. He brought it toward himself and allowed her hand to brush against his sensitive skin. Cagalli jumped and stared wide eyed at her hand when she found that she was grasping his length.

"Is this okay?" she whispered with wide eyes.

Athrun groaned, "I wouldn't have let you pull my pants to my ankles if it wasn't. You're fine, but please, do something instead of just sitting there."

Cagalli blinked, she had never heard Athrun say something like that before. He sounded pretty desperate and she felt bad for him. He put his hand over hers and started guiding it up and down. She nodded in understanding and he pulled back, allowing her to continue. Cagalli frowned, this couldn't be it, she wanted to do more. Without hesitation, she bent down and flicked her tongue over the tip. Her eyes shot to Athrun's and she couldn't help but grin at how dilated his pupils were. He was watching her every move and she bent down again, taking his now swollen member into her mouth. It was odd at first, but she established a rhythm and pumped up and down on him. Heat pooled in her lower belly as she heard Athrun's moans and groans above her. The coordinator reached down and grabbed a handful of her blonde hair, squeezing tight. Cagalli let out a small moan in mid stroke, causing Athrun's grip to tighten. She liked the feeling of her hair straining against her scalp in this situation. Athrun was never rough with her and she liked this. He was always so mellow and she wanted to make him lose control. It was a challenge and the natural girl was up for it.

Cagalli pulled up and gasped for air. Her chest was heaving and she looked up at Athrun who was practically panting. He had a fine line of sweat on his brow and his emerald eyes were foggy. Cagalli felt a shiver go down her spine at the way he was looking at her. After catching her breath she looked back down at his erection and her eyebrows rose at the sight of white fluid leaking from the tip. She reached out and touched it with her finger. She glanced at Athrun before bringing her finger to her mouth and sucking on it.

"Damn it Cagalli," Athrun huffed, shaking his head, "If you only knew what you were doing to me."

Cagalli rolled her eyes and leaned back down, taking more of him in her mouth than she had previously. She moved up and down and let out a muffled yelp as Athrun couldn't help but thrust upward. She pulled back, gagging and coughing. Her eyes watered and she turned her head to the side as she sputtered.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Athrun blurted and reached out to her.

Cagalli shooed him with one flick of the wrist, "I'm fine."

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and proceeded to continue. His skin was growing hot in her mouth and Cagalli knew they were getting close to something. She reached out and grabbed his sack with one hand. She fondled it and he jerked underneath her.

"Cagalli, I'm close," he sputtered breathlessly.

Seconds passed and Cagalli's eyes widened as hot liquid jetted into her mouth. She pulled back instantly and swallowed what she could as some of the liquid ran down her chin. She began to cough but quickly recovered, her eyes meeting Athrun's. She wiped her mouth and smiled at him sheepishly. Athrun reached down and quickly pulled his boxers back up so he was covered. His hair was disheveled and sweat lined his brow. He looked exhausted.

"Was that alright?" Cagalli asked honestly.

Athrun gaped at her, "Was it alright? Jesus Cagalli, it was more than alright, couldn't you tell?"

She shrugged, "I've never done something like that before so I wouldn't know."

"It was _fine_," he told her and added, "I still can't believe you did it."

"I wanted to try something new…"

"That's an understatement," Athrun muttered.

Cagalli couldn't help the feeling of pride welling up in her chest. She had brought the famous soldier Athrun Zala to a state of delusion by her actions. She loved knowing that she had that kind of power over him and enjoyed that she was able to give him such pleasure. She rubbed her fingers together and frowned at how sticky they were.

"I'm going to take a shower," she stated.

Athrun nodded, "That's probably a good idea."

Cagalli stood up and walked toward the bathroom when Athrun jokingly spoke, "Make sure you brush your teeth."

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Good one."

**A/N: Again, I apologize for the long wait, and sadly I can't promise that the wait for the next chapter will be shorter. Thanks for your positive reviews and patience!**


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